Spain reported 864 new coronavirus fatalities on Wednesday, marking its deadliest day since the crisis began as the number of confirmed cases surged past 100,000.
Total deaths rose to 9,053 in the past 24 hours, from 8,189 Tuesday, according to Health Ministry data. The number of confirmed cases increased to 102,136, though the gain of 7,710 was smaller than Tuesday's of 9,222.
Spain has been in almost-complete lockdown since March 14, and it remains unclear whether the restrictions on public life have helped bring the disease under control. Health officials have said that the outbreak may be entering a stabilization phase.
The government's handling of the crisis is facing mounting criticism from both opposition leaders and parties that previously backed Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Critics say officials were too slow to react, didn't consult enough with people outside the administration and haven't been aggressive enough in tackling the virus.
The government argues that it followed recommendations from the World Health Organization and its own experts. A study published March 30 by academics at London-based Imperial College estimates that the Spanish measures may have prevented 16,000 deaths.
