(29 Sep 2020) The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus has eclipsed one million, nine months into a crisis that has devastated the global economy, tested world leaders’ resolve, pitted science against politics and forced multitudes to change the way they live, learn and work.
Although the true number of deaths is hard to know, and could be much higher, crossing this threshold serves as a grim reminder of the incredible toll of COVID-19.
Spain is one of the many countries across the world grappling with the pandemic, with a total of 748,266 confirmed cases and 31,411 deaths on Monday, official data showed.
As the global death toll of the new coronavirus pandemic nears one million, a coffin factory in Spain prepares for the second wave already engulfing parts of the country.
At the height of the pandemic in March the Eurocoffin factory in Barcelona saw stocks around the country running low as deaths skyrocketed.
To keep up with the demand the factory began working seven days a week and tripled its production, especially of cheaper models that were faster to make.
"At the end of the year we will be producing nearly 50% more than last year," said Fernando Sánchez, the director of communications of Mémora group of funeral homes that owns Eurocoffin.
On a normal year the factory produces an average of 20,000 – 21,000 coffins.
This year though, Sánchez estimates they will make some 30,000 coffins by the end December, the most produced in a year since the factory opened a decade ago.
More than 31,000 people are known to have died of COVID-19 in Spain, one of the most hard-hit countries in Europe, but the real death toll is believed to be much higher.
Daily production returned to normal rhythms after the curve of infections seemed to have been brought under control in the summer.
But with virus cases rising again to worrying levels, the coffin factory is making sure stocks are filled up again.
"I think that reaching a number like one million (global coronavirus deaths) should make us reflect that this is not over," said Sánchez.
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