Spain turns to AI tech in battle against coronavirus: Officials will buy four robots capable of testing a combined 80,000 patients for deadly bug a day
- Current number of tests in the country per day is between 15,000 and 20,000
- Four robots will be deployed but it is not yet known when they will be rolled out
- Nation is second hardest hit European country after Italy with 1,756 deaths so far
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
Spain is set to deploy a fleet of robots to carry out 80,000 coronavirus tests a day as the country continues to battle with the outbreak.
The nation is currently the second hardest hit European country after Italy and has so far reported 28,603 confirmed cases and 1,756 deaths.
But Spanish authorities believe that increasing the number of tests from its current daily figure of between 15,000 and 20,000 could help control the spread of the deadly pathogen.
Spain is currently the second hardest hit European country after Italy and has so far reported 28,603 confirmed cases and 1,756 deaths. Pictured: Scenes outside Burgos Hospital
Speaking at a conference on Saturday, Head of Madrid’s Health Institute Raquel Yotti (pictured) said: ‘A plan to automate tests through robots has been already designed’
Speaking at a conference on Saturday, Head of Madrid’s Health Institute Raquel Yotti said: ‘A plan to automate tests through robots has been already designed and Spain has committed to buying four robots that will allow us to execute 80,000 tests per day.’
It is not yet known when the robots will be deployed or how exactly they will operate.
The announcement comes after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned that ‘the worst is yet to come’.
He added: ‘We have yet to receive the impact of the strongest, most damaging wave, which will test our material and moral capacities to the limit, as well as our spirit as a society.’
The regional government of Madrid, which is the epicentre of the outbreak in the Spain, recently announced that it will now use hotels as makeshift hospitals
But the pandemic is already straining the country’s health service.
The regional government of Madrid, which is the epicentre of the outbreak in the Spain, recently announced that it will now use hotels as makeshift hospitals.
It is thought that the authorities will also be introducing a range of other measures across the country to lessen the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
These will include an aid package for the tourism and transport industries as well as guaranteeing up to 100 billion euros (£92.3billion) of loans to help banks free up credit for smaller companies.