Spain confirms 441 cases, 8 deaths due to coronavirus

The Spanish Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Services confirmed on Saturday morning that the number of COVID-19 cases has risen to 441, with eight deaths in the country.

The region surrounding the capital city of Madrid remains the worst affected by the outbreak, with 174 confirmed cases, while there are 45 in the Basque region and 39 in the La Rioja region of northern Spain.

Speaking at his daily news briefing, Fernando Simon, director of the Ministry's Center for Health Emergencies, said that all the cases in La Rioja were in the same town.

The ministry would be taking "drastic measures" to control the outbreak, he added.

"It is always better to do too much than to not do enough. At times it is not easy to give a general order," said Simon, praising the decision made on Friday by the Madrid regional government to close day centers for the elderly after COVID-19 cases and one related death were confirmed in two such centers in the region.

Simon also said he backed Barcelona City Hall's decision to postpone the city's annual marathon, scheduled for March 15, until October, though Sunday's Women's Day parades would still go ahead, he added.