Spain coronavirus death toll passes 9,000 after jumping by 864 overnight

Police accused of violently enforcing restrictions on movement as country enters third week of lockdown

A total of 9,053 people have died from coronavirus in Spain, an increase of 864 since yesterday, health officials said on Wednesday.

It is the highest daily death toll the country has recorded so far. The total number of Covid-19 cases in Spain also surpassed 100,000 on Wednesday, the country’s health ministry said.

Overall cases rose from 94,417 on Tuesday to 102,136 – an increase of 7,719. The record increase of 864 was a lower increase in percentage terms than during the previous days.

The country is now entering its third week of lockdown, with the country’s state of emergency regulations only allowing citizens to leave their homes alone to buy food, seek medical care for emergencies or if they are workers in vital industries.

Amid the rising figures, the police have been accused of violently enforcing the rules, with hundreds of people arrested and thousands fined for flouting the lockdown.

Most of those fined were reportedly trying to flee to their second homes – which is banned under the restrictions on movement.

Fines vary from 100 euros (£88) to 600,000 euros (£530,000) for a serious abuse of emergency restrictions.

An investigation is also underway after police were apparently filmed beating a 22-year-old Moroccan man and his mother with truncheons after asking them why they were in the street together.

The incident in Bilbao was filmed from a balcony above and shows the police hitting the man in the face and using a baton to hit him across the legs before handcuffing him.

When his mother then intervenes, a policeman strikes her head with the baton knocking her to the ground, prompting uproar from people watching from their windows, Morocco World News reports.

The man who was allegedly attacked later posted a video on social media, explaining what happened to him.

“I was out for some groceries, and I showed the police the paper that proves that,” he said.

The Moroccan embassy reportedly intervened and the man and his mother were released from custody. People banged pots and pans in Bilbao to protest against the police following the incident.