Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez today said a special cabinet meeting would tomorrow formally declare a state of emergency to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
The state of emergency will allow authorities to confine infected people and ration goods in a steep increase in Spain's response to the rapidly-spreading coronavirus.
With 4,209 cases, Spain has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in Europe after Italy and Sanchez said the number could rise to over 10,000 next week.
About 120 people have died.