Spain on Monday banned funeral ceremonies, including vigils at home, and decreed that no more than three people could attend burials as the government struggles with thousands of fatalities from the coronavirus pandemic.

Madrid announced that “religious celebrations and civilian funeral ceremonies are postponed until the end of the alert,,” which has been declared until at least April 11 and keeps the population confined.

The new measures cut to just three the number of people who can attend a burial or cremation and social distancing of one to two metres must be maintained.

Spain has listed 7,340 deaths from COVID-19, the second highest toll in the world after Italy, where the Catholic tradition is equally strong and funerals have also been severely restricted.

The government decree ruled out vigils of family and friends in homes whatever the cause of death.

Spain has already imposed the strictest confinement measures in Europe and on Monday followed Italy and stopped all non-essential economic activity for the next two weeks.