Coronavirus: Spanish cases up by 1,500 in a day

2020-03-14 13:54:52

Coronavirus cases in Spain have risen by 1,500 to more than 5,700, public health officials say. Spain is the worst affected country in Europe after Italy, which has more than 15,000 cases. The news comes as the government meets to declare a nationwide state of emergency for only the second time in Spain's recent history. On Friday the World Health Organization (WHO) said Europe was now the "epicentre" of the pandemic. Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to use aggressive measures, community mobilisation and social distancing to save lives. Several European countries have reported steep rises in infections and deaths in recent days.