Spain's coronavirus death toll surpasses 1,000

People keep their distance as they queue to enter a supermarket during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) health emergency in Madrid, Spain March 19, 2020. REUTERS/Susana Vera

Spain's death toll from the coronavirus epidemic soared to 1,002 on Friday from 767 on the previous day, the country's health emergencies chief Fernando Simon said.

The number of registered cases in the country rose to 19,980 on Friday from 17,147 on Thursday, Simon said.

(Reporting by Inti Landauro, editing by Andrei Khalip)