The number of people with coronavirus who have died in Spain has passed 20,000.

The country's health authorities have reported 565 further coronavirus related fatalities in the last 24 hours - a slight fall on the previous day's figure of 585.

Image: Spain's Military Emergencies Unit disinfecting public space at Malaga airport

It brings the total to 20,043, while the number of infections has passed 190,000.

Only the United States and Italy have had more COVID-19 deaths.

In Spain, infections have risen to 191,726 compared with the previous tally of 188,068.


Social distancing still applies at funerals in Spain

As the outbreak's spread slows in the country, pressure on hospitals has relaxed.

Authorities have closed one part of a huge temporary hospital with thousands of beds set up by the military in a convention centre in Madrid.

Image: The Ifem centre in Madrid had been turned into Spain's biggest hospital

But strict confinement rules are expected to be extended beyond 26 April.

More than 74,000 people in Spain have recovered.

However, this week the Spanish government called for more precise data to supplied after discrepancies in regional figures came to light.

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In France, which has seen more than 18,000 coronavirus related deaths, authorities have banned a cruise ship from disembarking before its final destination of Italy.

The Costa Deliziosa had sought to make a stop in Marseille to allow 1,000 passengers to leave before arriving in Venice in the coming days.

But permission was denied due to France's virus-related confinement measures.

Image: France's lockdown has been extended until 11 May

President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed the French lockdown will remain in place until at least 11 May.

Iran, which was slow to respond to the pandemic, has begun to relax measures, allowing some businesses in the capital and nearby towns to re-open.

Image: Iranian workers disinfect a street in Tehran

The country has reported more than 80,000 confirmed cases and over 5,000 deaths.

In Africa, a total of 52 of the continent's 54 countries have reported the virus.

Image: A drive through testing site in Johannesburg

The overall number of cases on the continent has reached more than 19,800, however the World Health Organisation has warned that due to a shortage of testing "it's likely the real numbers are higher than reported".

Worldwide, the pandemic has infected more than 2.2 million people, and over 150,000 deaths have been recorded.