CORONAVIRUS: Global death toll surges past 5,000, as Spain declares state of emergency

The worldwide death toll from the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus also known as COVID-19 has surged past 5,000 on Saturday with the total infected cases also rising to more than 140,000.

The latest figures by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) also showed 4,955 total fatalities as of 09:00 GMT on Friday, while Italy reported an additional 250 new deaths as of 17:08 GMT on the same day, and Iran announced 85 new deaths also on Friday.

At least 18 countries on the African continent have recorded cases of the virus with Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Guinea all confirming their first cases on Friday as the infection continues to spread prompting different countries to take unprecedented measures to help stave off a global health crisis.

READ ALSO: Trump declares national emergency over coronavirus

Meanwhile, Spain will be in a state of emergency for the next 15 days to better combat the coronavirus, a dramatic increase to the policy response that will allow authorities to confine people and ration goods.

This was announced on Friday by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez who said that the decision will formally be decided by a cabinet meeting on Saturday, to give the government power to take wide-ranging measures, including temporarily occupying factories or any other premises except private homes.

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