The number of people to have died after testing positive for coronavirus in Italy has gone up another 889, taking the death toll there to 10,023.
The man leading the battle against COVID-19 in Italy, Angelo Borrelli, said more than 70,000 patients have been recorded as having the disease. He said that more than 12,000 people have recovered.
The latest figures were released just a few hours after Spain said its toll had surged by 832 to 5,690. A further 8,189 cases were detected in the country in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 72,248.
Professor Julio Mayol, medical director at the Clinico San Carlos Hospital in Madrid, has told Sky News he fears more and more healthcare professionals fighting the illness will become infected.
He said: "It is a bad situation, it is really bad and it is getting worse day by day, because the number of positive COVID-19 patients is increasing.
"We have a large number of patients, and the problem is we can't increase the room available.
"We can provide them with more beds, but we need personal protection equipment (PPE), and there is a global shortage, and this is makes it very difficult for us to send healthcare workers to battle on the frontline without the adequate equipment."
Prof Mayol continued: "Secondly, healthcare professionals are getting infected. I estimate it could be as many as 25% in the near future if we don't do something.
"Right now two of my closest collaborators are COVID-19 positive, so it is becoming a nightmare.
"Many of our doctors have been admitted, even those fighting the virus.
"Nurses are also a major problem for us, especially those in the intensive care units.
"If we don't get the right personnel to handle these ICU patients, its going to be almost impossible to increase the number of ICU beds, because we won't have trained personnel to take care of our patients."
The rise in Spain came as German Chancellor Angela Merkel thanked people in her country for being largely compliant during the lockdown there.
The number of confirmed cases in Germany has continued to increase, with Ms Merkel's chief of staff saying the shutdown would not be eased before 20 April.
The German chancellor said in her weekly podcast: "When I see today how almost everyone has completely changed their behaviour, how the vast majority of you really do avoid any unnecessary contact, precisely because it can also contain a risk of infection, then I would simply like to say: thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Northern Cyprus reported its first death from the coronavirus on Saturday after a 67-year old German tourist died in hospital in Nicosia, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency.
The German man also suffered from the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and high blood pressure, Anadolu said.
The agency, citing a government statement on Saturday, said the total number of cases in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) had risen to 61.
In Italy, which has the highest number of deaths in the world, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte urged the European Union to launch a "recovery bond" to help fund the response to the coronavirus outbreak, saying failure to tackle the emergency would be a "tragic mistake" for the bloc.
In an interview with Italian daily Il Sole 24 Ore on Saturday, Mr Conte said a common debt instrument was needed to spearhead a European recovery and reinvestment plan to support the economy of the whole area.
Meanwhile, in Finland police and assisting military forces and border guard officials have started to enforce a blockade of a key southern region that includes the Nordic nation's capital, Helsinki.
The exceptional order by Prime Minister Sanna Marin's government to block the movement of citizens into and out of Uusimaa entered into force on Saturday.
The region is home to some 1.7 million people, including Helsinki's 650,000 residents.
Albania's government has announced that people will have to apply for a permit to go out for necessities in the country.
Prime Minister Edi Rama said people can apply online or with a text message.
Only one person per family may go out.
Albania has reported 186 cases of coronavirus, with 10 deaths.
The coronavirus pandemic has affected more than 650,000 people worldwide, with more than 30,000 deaths recorded.
Italy has the oldest population in the world behind Japan, many venture north during retirement as there's better health care there, southern Italy is a lot poorer.
98% of those who have died have had underlying health issues and mostly over 65
Of course this virus is unfortunately catalysing elderly people towards the end of their lives and nobody wants that but you need to add perspective as well, this as said many times, is not the black death sweeping through the world where those dead had Red x's painted over the doors in every street going. Vast vast majority of people are going to be ok.
Italy has the oldest population in the world behind Japan, many venture north during retirement as there's better health care there, southern Italy is a lot poorer.98% of those who have died have had underlying health issues and mostly over 65Of cour
you need to be looking at all these russian belarus and friendly games if you want to earn money
forget all this strange obsession with numbers that won't make you a dime
you need to be looking at all these russian belarus and friendly games if you want to earn moneyforget all this strange obsession with numbers that won't make you a dime
It is a 'real' virus but it's not the black death.
Within 12 months we'll all have had it in one form or the other.
It has killed 15 people per million in the UK.It has killed 2 people per million in ChinaIt is a 'real' virus but it's not the black death.Within 12 months we'll all have had it in one form or the other.
Possibly Case but the deaths per million elsewhere say Germany for example is 5 deaths per million.
Spain 124 per mil and Italy 166 but they have sizeable elderly populations.
Are they victims on their own circumstances, close families, heavy smokers?
Still, not the Black Plague is it.
This is more about money in my opinion. Transfer of wealth.
Possibly Case but the deaths per million elsewhere say Germany for example is 5 deaths per million.Spain 124 per mil and Italy 166 but they have sizeable elderly populations.Are they victims on their own circumstances, close families, heavy smokers?S
Trillions of lucre, created as debt, will flow to the winners.
The mugs at the bottom will be on the hook for the lot.
Follow the money in the next 18 months.Winners and losers.Trillions of lucre, created as debt, will flow to the winners.The mugs at the bottom will be on the hook for the lot.
I can't see how any government can profit from this, and it's them that are locking down countries, some on the left, some on the right.
Any ideas leif, can't wait 18 months.I can't see how any government can profit from this, and it's them that are locking down countries, some on the left, some on the right.
The death rate in Italy is so high because they have 40% of cases and 60% of deaths occurring in Lombardy, an area with about 1/6th of the population.
The Italian health service is very good, with plenty of capacity (almost double the ICU beds of the UK) and that is one of the reasons why the population is so old (23% above 65). But when you have an outbreak confined to such a small area, the health service in that area becomes overwhelmed sooner and stays overwhelmed for longer - that is the main reason why the death rate is so high, that is when the death rate rockets to a level much higher than flu. People are dying without getting proper treatment. That is what every country in the world is trying to avoid this scenario as much as possible. That is what the lockdown measures are for - in anticipation of that happening, which is almost guaranteed in most Euro countries, not as a reaction to a much lower death rate comparable to flu in the early stages of an outbreak. You can't do much to reduce the death rate from flu, but you can do a lot to avoid the death rate from this virus from rocketing for a sustained period.
New York/New Jersey is looking a lot like Lombardy in terms of US case concentration. About half the cases in the US are in these two adjoining states but they may be just a week or two ahead of other US states where the numbers are growing fast. And the virus is beginning to spread South in Italy, where there is less healthcare available and where people are poorer. If it gets bad in Naples, one of the most densely populated areas in Europe, it will be disastrous and there could be anarchy in Italy.
The death rate in Italy is so high because they have 40% of cases and 60% of deaths occurring in Lombardy, an area with about 1/6th of the population.The Italian health service is very good, with plenty of capacity (almost double the ICU beds of the
peter hitchens away again today gone to far,death rates now predicted below 6.000,would have died anyway, blah ,blah but still no answers suggestions as to how they,d have prevented the NHS grinding to a halt, I assume he thinks everyone would have to die ,suffer at home that's 3 articles so far from hitchens never mention Italy ,come on peter simple question what would you have done different in Italy, I assume just carry on, no lockdown,forgetting why they locked down in 1st place ,because their world class health service was been overwhelmed
peter hitchens away again today gone to far,death rates now predicted below 6.000,would have died anyway, blah ,blahbut still no answers suggestions as to how they,d have prevented the NHS grinding to a halt, I assume he thinks everyone would have to