On Thursday, Italy overtook China as the country to register most deaths from the highly contagious virus. The total number of cases in Italy rose to 53,578 from a previous 47,021, an increase of 13.9pc, the Civil Protection Agency said. The hardest-hit northern region of Lombardy remains in a critical situation, with 3,095 deaths and 25,515 cases. As coronavirus cases ballooned in Europe, several countries imposed or planned new restrictions to try to curb the spread. Spanish authorities said on Saturday that they would boost coronavirus testing, potentially with the help of robots, as the toll in the country kept climbing, surpassing 1,300 deaths and reaching close to 25,000 cases.

Source: Irish Independent March 21, 2020 17:49 UTC