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Spain becomes 4th most coronavirus-infected nation

A Sri Lankan worker sprays disinfectant solution inside a bus terminal in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, March 16, 2020. Sri Lankan government declared today as a holiday to keep people away from public places as a precautionary action to prevent the spreading of new virus. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
A Sri Lankan worker sprays disinfectant solution inside a bus terminal in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, March 16, 2020. Sri Lankan government declared today as a holiday to keep people away from public places as a precautionary action to prevent the spreading of new virus. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) A Sri Lankan worker sprays disinfectant solution inside a bus terminal in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, March 16, 2020. Sri Lankan government declared today as a holiday to keep people away from public places as a precautionary action to prevent the spreading of new virus. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

By Associated Press 1 min read

Spain has become the fourth most virus-infected country in the world, surpassing South Korea with a sharp curve of contagion, and closing its borders is a “real possibility” being considered.

The topic will be discussed by European Union members on Monday, according to the country’s interior minister.

Coronavirus cases in Spain rose by roughly 1,000 cases in 24 hours to 8,744 on Monday, and the number of fatalities reached 297.

Minister Fernando Grande Marlaska said a total lockdown could be the next step, after deploying the army to the streets and to clean train stations, ordering 46 million to stay at home and taking over control of private hospitals.

Portugal and Spain have already agreed to halt tourism across their 1,200-kilometer (750-mile) shared border. Goods and workers will still be allowed in and out. About half of the deaths have been in the capital, Madrid.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report