The number of coronavirus-related fatalities in Spain has increased by 217 over the past 24 hours as the daily toll of deaths continues to slightly rise after hitting a record low of 143 on May 10, the country’s Health Ministry said on Thursday.

Given the update, the country’s total death toll reaches 27,321. Spain remains the country with the world’s fourth-highest number of COVID-19 fatalities.

Over the past day, Spain confirmed 506 new cases of the disease, while over 2,500 people recovered.

So far, according to the ministry, the total number of cases in Spain has reached 229,540. Of those, 143,374 have recovered.

Amid the overall slowdown in the spread of the virus, Spain started to gradually ease the lockdown this week, and the authorities aim to end the restrictions in late June. Nonetheless, a state of high alert is in place until 24 May.