Spain tells millions to stay home as coronavirus cases rise

Four million residents of Barcelona have been urged to stay at home as virus cases rise, while EU leaders were set to meet again in Brussels Saturday, seeking to rescue Europe’s economy from the ravages of the pandemic.

Spain’s Covid-19 death toll of 28,400 is one of Europe’s worst and the country has identified more than 150 new virus clusters across the country.

Barcelona, one of Europe’s most visited cities, warned of a potential return to lockdown as EU leaders met and as India became the third country to record one million cases after the United States and Brazil.

“With all this news there will only be cancellations,” Joan Bernat, a 46-year-old restaurateur in the city told AFP.

Trade “was already going badly these past few weeks -- there’s nobody in the offices, no tourists.”

The virus has now killed more than 594,000 people and infected over 13,990,000 as it continues to surge across the globe despite months of unprecedented lockdowns to stop its spread.

A growing number of countries and cities have been forced into reimposing restrictions, with Barcelona only the latest example.

India hit the million mark the day after virus cases in Brazil topped two million -- although the World Health Organization said Friday that Brazil’s contagion has “plateaued” with the rate of infection stabilising after 77,000 deaths.