Spain confirms 324 more coronavirus patient deaths as infection figure rises by nearly 5,000

Spain has announced 324 more deaths of coronavirus patients while there have been close to 5,000 more infections in the country.

Its infection toll since the start of the outbreak is now at 24,926.

Of those, 1,326 people who have been infected have died.

Over 1,600 patients are in intensive care units.

Authorities admit facilities are at their limits.

Madrid is the hardest hit region with almost 9,000 infections.

The nation is approaching one week of tight restrictions on free moment and the closure of most shops as hospitals and nursing homes buckle under the burden of the virus outbreak.

However, authorities admit that they expect infections to continue to rise before the measures can hopefully reverse the trend.