Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez detailed the battery of exceptional measures put in place as part of a two-week state of emergency to fight the sharp rise in infections. Spain locked down its 46 million citizens and France took increasingly desperate measures to put more space between people and contain the coronavirus. France announced the closing of all restaurants, cafes, theaters and nonessential shops starting Sunday. It has banned all gatherings of more than 100 people, ordered all schools closed and asked companies to allow workers to stay home.

Other European countries took steps to isolate themselves from their neighbors. Denmark closed its borders and halted passenger traffic to and from the country. Travelers will be turned away at the border if they are unable to show that they have "a legitimate reason" to enter — for example, if they are Danish citizens or residents.

Poland planned to close is borders at midnight and deny all foreigners entry unless they lived in Poland or had personal ties there. The Czech Republic and Slovakia took similar action. Russia said its borders with Norway and Poland will be closed to most foreigners beginning Sunday.

President Donald Trump announced that the U.S., which days ago barred travelers from most of Europe, will extend the ban to Britain and Ireland.

Cambodia’s government closed schools in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap City in an effort to halt the spread of the virus. The Lao Government has cancelled four regional high-level conferences slated for the end of March in the country’s capital Vientiane over concern about the complicated developments of the COVID-19 epidemic.