Madird, March 16: To contain the spread of coronavirus, police in Spain’s Madrid used drones to broadcast audio messages asking the public to stay at home. The move came after the Spanish government imposed restrictions on movement within the country and ordered its 46 million population to stay home. Only food shops, chemists and petrol stations will remain open in Spain. Coronavirus Outbreak: Spain Registers Nearly 1,000 New COVID-19 Cases in 24 Hours

.

Spain closed its land borders after close to 10,000 people tested positive for COVID-19. The country’s health ministry had counted 9,191 cases and 309 deaths due to the deadly virus. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said that only Spanish citizens, residents or accredited diplomatic personnel would be allowed to enter the country. Coronavirus Global Deaths Surpass Those in China As Toll Hits 5735 Worldwide, Italy and Iran Worst-Hit by COVID-19 Outbreak.

AFP's Tweet:

The move would affect all cross-border traffic with the neighbouring countries, including France, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar. The restriction will remain in place until the end of an alert that began on Saturday for an initial period of two weeks, reported AFP.

Currently, no such restrictions will be imposed on air traffic. However, Marlaska said that if the need arises, the government could impose restrictions on the air traffic. Spain is the second-worst affected country in Europe after Italy, where over two thousand people lost their lives due to COVID-19. Meanwhile, over 6,000 deaths have been reported across the globe. Last week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak of novel coronavirus as a ‘pandemic”.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 17, 2020 12:04 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).