Madrid, May 24 (IANS) The Spanish Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare on Saturday confirmed falls in the number of new deaths and cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

The ministry reported that 48 people lost their lives to COVID-19 in the 24 hours until midnight on Friday, down from 56 confirmed a day earlier, taking the death toll in Spain to 28,678, Xinhua reported.

The same period also saw a fall in the number of new cases detected by PCR tests, which discover if the coronavirus is active in the body. The ministry reported 361 new infections, down from 446 a day earlier, bringing the total cases to 235,290.

In a televised speech to the nation on Saturday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared ten days of national mourning for the victims of COVID-19.

He also announced that from the start of July, Spain would "reopen for the arrival of foreign tourists in conditions that guarantee safety".

--IANS pgh/