Madrid: A Madrid ice rink is to be used as a makeshift morgue for coronavirus victims, as the number of cases in the capital rose to 10,575 and 1263 deaths, city authorities said on Monday.

Health workers prepare to receive the first patients with coronavirus at IFEMA exhibition complex in Madrid, Spain. Credit:Handout

Palacio de Hielo mall, home to a 1800 square metre, Olympic-sized ice rink, has offered its venue as a morgue, a city hall spokeswoman told Reuters.

The repurposing of the space will be coordinated by Madrid's regional government and military emergency units, which have been deployed across Spain over the past week to help deal with the coronavirus crisis.

In Madrid, struggling with Spain's heaviest virus load, the municipal funeral home announced it would stop collecting bodies from Tuesday due to a shortage of equipment.