Abu Dhabi said on Saturday it was shutting major tourism and cultural venues, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum and the Ferrari World theme park, from March 15-31, as Arab states in the Gulf stepped up measures against coronavirus.

The latest announcement was made in tweets by the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office on social media.

It comes as the number of coronavirus cases in Spain have risen by 1,500 in a day – taking the total number of cases in the country to more than 5,700.

It is the second worst affected country in Europe after Italy – which has recorded more than 15,000 cases,  the BBC reports.

Spain has declared a state of emergency, with Madrid on lockdown and resorts in Ibiza and Majorca closing bars.