New infections drop, hospitalizations high in Spain

New coronavirus infections in Spain dropped significantly this weekend, but deaths and hospitalizations remained high.

Over the weekend, nearly 38,300 people tested positive for the virus in Spain, maintaining a gradual decline in new infections.

Last weekend, the Health Ministry confirmed more than 52,000 new cases.

Spain activated a state of emergency 22 days ago, which allowed regional governments to apply stricter measures like curfews.

Hospitalizations ticked up slightly compared to Friday, with close to 20,500 COVID-19 patients currently occupying 17% of all hospital beds in Spain and 33% of all intensive care units.

Another 484 people died, bringing Spain's official virus death toll to 41,253.

While many Spanish regions are seeing new infections decreasing, places like Asturias and Cantabria continue to see the caseload growing within their closed borders.

The leader of Asturias reiterated on Monday that he wants to apply a stricter stay-at-home order, but the legal situation in Spain does not permit it and the central government refuses to adjust the laws under the state of emergency.

Doctors across Spain are losing patience with the attitude of Spain's chief epidemiologist Fernando Simon who last week said health workers are not getting infected as much during the second wave because they know how to protect themselves better now.

In Spain, 72 doctors have died due to COVID-19 so far.

Spain's Medical College Association has called for Simon to resign.

On Monday, he said he was not going to step down voluntarily.

"I'm a civil servant, I'm not going to abandon ship now. If my superiors want me gone, I'll leave," he said in a news conference.