Coronavirus: Europe now epicentre of the pandemic, says WHO

A closed restaurant terrace is pictured in Madrid on 13 March 2020, — ***Image captionThe city authorities in Madrid are closing outdoor seating areas, amid concerns over rising infection rates***

Europe is now the "epicentre" of the global coronavirus pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization says.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to use aggressive measures, community mobilisation and social distancing to save lives.

"Do not just let this fire burn," he said.

His comments came as several countries in Europe reported steep rises in the number of infections and deaths. Spain is now the worst affected after Italy.

On Friday, Spain reported a 50% jump in fatalities to 120. Infections increased to 4,200.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says a state of emergency will come into effect there on Saturday for two weeks.

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