SPAIN’S death toll from the coronavirus outbreak has jumped 30 percent in a single day, rising from 558 to 767.

The country’s total number of confirmed cases also rose by more than 3,000, and now stands at 17,147.

The epidemic has left hundreds of Brits scrambling to get home after the Spanish government announced it would be closing all hotels from the coming Tuesday.

Spain, like France and Italy, has imposed a countrywide lockdown, allowing people to leave their homes only to buy food or medical supplies.

Helicopters and drones have been deployed to enforce the lockdown, with heavy fines in place for anyone found breaking it.

Reports have emerged of British tourists being arrested after refusing to comply with the measures.

Authorities have also closed the country’s land borders, and are reportedly considering shutting down airports.

‘WE’LL EMERGE MORE CARING AND UNITED’

In a televised address last night, Spain’s King Felipe VI said: “This virus will not defeat us.

“On the contrary. It will make us stronger as a society; a society that is more committed, more caring, more united.

“A society that’s standing up against any adversity.”

He also thanked health professionals, saying they were “on the forefront in Spain of the battle against this disease.”

Ahead of the address, many Spaniards under lockdown staged a protest of pot-banging from their balconies to call on the king to donate some of his wealth to the country’s health system.

The Foreign Office has told Brits abroad to contact their tour operator or airline and “make travel plans to return as soon as possible”.

Spain is popular destination for both British tourist and expats, with almost 19 million trips made to the country in 2019.

On Saturday, JET2 and TUI cancelled hundreds of flights to Spain, with some planes having to turn around mid-air and return home.

Jet2 – which is based at nine UK airports and flies to Benidorm, Malaga and Lanzarote – later cancelled all flights to mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands.

Read originally published story at The Sun