Spain calls in army to fight virus pandemic

Spain will call in the army to help identify those who have been exposed to people infected with the novel coronavirus as part of efforts to curb the spread of the disease, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Tuesday.

The central government will deploy 2,000 soldiers to assist in tracking cases and stem a rise in infections, he told a news conference.

Spain's cumulative tally of coronavirus cases hit 405,436 on Monday after a surge in infections last week, making it the worst week for infections since late March.

The country's Health Ministry added nearly 20,000 infections for last week after revising upwards the number of cases for at least four of the days in that week.

(With input from agencies)