A total of 3,434 coronavirus patients have died in Spain, surpassing the number of recorded deaths in China where the outbreak began.

As Spain surpassed China’s 3,285 cases, Europe has now become the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak. Spain has the world’s second-highest tally of coronavirus deaths, just behind Italy, which has recorded more than 6,800 deaths.

Read more: UK coronavirus death toll: Biggest daily increase to 422

The rapid increase in deaths comes as Spain enters its 11th day of lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19, which has now infected more than 47,000 people.

Spain’s Congress is likely to approve another 15 days of emergency measures today, which means only one member of a household is allowed out for food or medicine.

Cases have been mostly concentrated in Madrid, Catalonia and the Basque Country, infection numbers are growing in other regions, mirroring the spread of infection in Italy.

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In Madrid, the municipal funeral home has stopped collecting coronavirus victims because of a lack of protective equipment. The capital will use a major ice rink as a temporary mortuary where bodies will be stored until funeral homes can collect them, according to reports.

Yesterday Spain reported 514 people had died of the virus in a single day, as figures revealed that healthcare workers accounted for more than 13 per cent of the country’s confirmed cases.

A rapid rise in cases in the US prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to say it has the potential to become the new epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic.

Read more: Coronavirus: Spain cases surge to 25,000 as country suffers biggest jump in daily deaths

New York governor Andrew Cuomo warned Covid-19 is spreading in his state faster than a “bullet train”. New York now has over 25,000 confirmed cases and more than 200 deaths.

“New York is the canary in the coal mine, New York is happening first, what is happening to New York will happen to California and Illinois, it is just a matter of time,” he said.

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