Deaths in Spain exceed 10,000 as Portugal extends state of emergency

A citizen takes a picture of the famous city sculpture "Three Smiths" which has been put on facial masks, in Helsinki, Finland, March 31, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhu Haochen)

-- COVID-19 death toll close to 14,000 in Italy, total number of confirmed cases rises to 115,242;

-- Coronavirus deaths in Spain pass 10,000 mark;

-- Portuguese president announces a 15-day extension of state of emergency;

-- British gov't pledges to carry out 100,000 tests per day by the end of April.

BRUSSELS, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in European countries.

Sanitation workers clean the ground at Piazza del Duomo in Milan, Italy, on March 31, 2020.(Photo by Daniele Mascolo/Xinhua)

ROME -- The number of COVID-19 deaths reported in Italy has risen by 760 to 13,915 and the total number of confirmed cases has risen to 115,242, according to the latest data released by the country's Civil Protection Department on Thursday.

Speaking during a televised press conference, Civil Protection Department Chief Angelo Borrelli confirmed that there were 2,477 new active coronavirus infections compared to Wednesday, bringing the nationwide total to 83,049 cases.

Of those infected, 28,540 are hospitalized, 4,053 are in intensive care and the rest are quarantined at home, Borrelli noted, adding that there were 1,431 additional recoveries compared with Wednesday, bringing that total to 18,278.

An ambulance arrives at the IFEMA Exhibition center in Madrid, Spain, March 23, 2020. LATIN AMERICA OUT. (EFE/Handout via Xinhua)

MADRID -- The number of deaths caused by COVID-19 in Spain surpassed the 10,000 mark on Thursday, the Spanish Ministry for Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Services confirmed.

A total of 10,003 people have died from the infectious disease in Spain as of Thursday, 950 more than the death toll of 9,053 on Wednesday.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose by 8,102 from 102,136 to 110,238 over the last 24 hours, while the number of people who have recovered from the disease increased to 26,743 from 22,647 on Wednesday.

A man wearing a face mask is seen in Erfurt, central Germany, on April 1, 2020.(Photo by Kevin Voigt/Xinhua)

BERLIN -- Germany registered 6,156 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 140 deaths over the past day, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on Thursday.

The average number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants in Germany increased from 81 to 88 on Thursday although there were regional differences, according to the RKI, the federal government agency and research institute responsible for disease control and prevention.

Staff carry equipments at a drive-through COVID-19 test station set up in the parking lot of an IKEA store in Wembley, northwest London, Britain, March 31, 2020.(Photo by Ray Tang/Xinhua)

London -- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Britain reached 33,718 as of Thursday morning, an increase of 4,244 in 24 hours, according to the Department of Health and Social Care.

As of Wednesday afternoon, of those hospitalized in Britain who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, 2,921 have died, up 569 over the same time on the previous day, the lastest figure from the department showed.

During Thursday's Downing Street coronavirus daily briefing, Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who is out of self-isolation after recovering from COVID-19, announced a five-pillar action plan to carry out 100,000 tests per day by the end of April.

A municipal worker disinfects the street to stop the spread of the COVID-19 in Cascais, Portugal, March 28, 2020.(Photo by Pedro Fiuza/Xinhua)

LISBON -- Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on Thursday announced in a televised national speech a 15-day extension of State of Emergency to fight the pandemic of COVID-19.

The state of emergency, which was declared by the president on March 18 and would end on Thursday midnight, will be renewed until April 17 under the new endorsement.

A medical biologist handles a swab to test a mediacal worker for the COVID-19 disease at a COVID-19 drive-in test center in Paris, France, April 1, 2020.(Photo by Aurelien Morissard/Xinhua)

PARIS -- France has registered 471 new fatalities from COVID-19 in hospitals in the past 24 hours, bringing the toll to 4,503, Director General of Health Jerome Salomon announced on Thursday.

A total of 26,246 people are now hospitalized, including 6,399 in intensive care, Salomon said at the daily briefing.

In addition, 14,638 confirmed or possible cases of coronavirus infection had been reported in accommodation establishments for dependent elderly people (called "Ehpad" in French) while 884 deaths had occurred in social and medico-social establishments, said the health official.

An emergency medical staff member leads a man to an ambulance in Brussels, Belgium, on April 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

BRUSSELS -- A further 183 patients had died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours in Belgium, raising the country's death toll to 1,011, according to fresh figures released Thursday by public health institute Sciensano.

In the last 24 hours, Belgium also reported 1,384 new cases of confirmed coronavirus infection, taking the total to 15,348, according to Sciensano Institute which is in charge of monitoring and analyzing COVID-19 data collected from its network of partners.

THE HAGUE -- The coronavirus death toll rose dramatically in The Netherlands on Thursday, with 166 fatalities reported in the past 24 hours, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) said.

The daily death toll fluctuates in The Netherlands from 132 on Sunday, 93 on Monday, 175 on Tuesday, 134 on Wednesday to 166 on Thursday. The total number of reported deaths in The Netherlands now stands at 1,339.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases (patients who are or were admitted to hospital) has increased by 625 to 5,784 and the total number of positive tests grew by 1,083 to 14,697.