Why has Spain’s coronavirus crisis spiralled out of control? James Badcock reports:

Spain’s health service has deservedly enjoyed a good reputation in recent decades, but it is doubtful that any system could be prepared for the acceleration of the Covid-19 epidemic that has seen the number of deaths multiply by 12 in the past 10 days to place the country ahead of China and behind only Italy with 3,434 fatalities.

Since March 15, the day Spain was placed on lockdown, the caseload of confirmed cases of infection has multiplied sixfold to 47,610, and the number of patients requiring intensive care has risen from 382 to 3,166.

Of course, Spain was always going to be affected. It is a the second-most visited country in the world after France, and indeed the first two coronavirus cases registered were among foreigners in island resort areas. Through February and early March, the focus was on containment of what were seen as isolated cases imported from abroad. Unseen, a deadly epidemic was developing.

In the days that led up to the lockdown decision, there was vacillation. A special cabinet meeting was held on March 12 to announce measures to face the economic costs of an epidemic, only for Mr Sánchez to announce the following day that another government meeting would be held on March 14 to draw up a State of Emergency action plan.

Amid clement Spring weather, many Madrid dwellers and their school-less children headed for second homes and other countryside options around the country.

Hospitals in Madrid have been collapsed by the workload and a lack of protective equipment for health workers means that more than 10 per cent of confirmed cases nationwide are among medical staff.

But even worse is that contagion is moving faster in other regions outside Madrid. Old people’s residences, especially private centres where staff are overstretched and underequipped, have borne a painful brunt.

Spain’s health authorities have also been criticised for failing to test enough, only this week reaching 15,000 to 20,000 tests per days to rival countries such as Germany.