Italy has recorded 368 new coronavirus deaths – its largest number of fatalities in a day since the start of the outbreak.
A total of 1,809 people with COVID-19 have now died in the country, which is the hardest-hit by the virus in Europe, as the number of cases rose to more than 24,700.
It comes after Spain saw its number of coronavirus deaths more than double in a day to 288.
The country joined Italy by going into lockdown with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez imposing tight movement restrictions on its 47 million citizens as part of a 15-day state of emergency.
All schools, universities, restaurants, bars and hotels in Spain have been closed nationwide along with non-essential stores – a move some of the hardest-hit communities have already carried out.
In other developments in the spread of coronavirus around the world:
- Ireland’s government is asking all pubs to close from midnight on Sunday until at least 29 March
- Germany is to introduce temporarily introduce controls on borders with Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg and Denmark from Monday
- The UK Foreign Office has warned against all but essential travel to the US – a day after Donald Trump announced a ban on UK and Irish flights to America
- Austria is to ban gatherings of more than five people from Monday
- The Czech Republic’s prime minister said a quarantine for the entire country is likely to be declared to fight the outbreak
- The Netherlands reported eight more coronavirus deaths, taking its total to 20
- A cruise ship carrying at least 600 Britons is stranded off the coast of the Bahamas after some passengers reported flu-like symptoms
- Ski resorts across Europe have shut down more than a month early as countries attempt to halt the spread of coronavirus
- Cyprus says it will only allow people into country with medical clearance, and those who do arrive will be placed in compulsory quarantine for two weeks
- Tunisia asks its citizens for financial donations to help tackle coronavirus
- Hungary confirmed its first death of a patient with COVID-19
The 288 coronavirus deaths in Spain is up from 136 announced on Saturday.
news.sky.