Chile to quarantine arrivals from Spain, Italy: official

Chilean health authorities on Tuesday announced all travelers arriving from Italy and Spain would be quarantined amid global fears over the spread of the coronavirus.

Italy and Spain are the European countries reporting most deaths from the coronavirus outside of China.

"People who enter Chilean territory having visited Spain and Italy, must remain in isolation for 14 days," the health ministry said in a statement.

People arriving from these countries will be classified as "high risk travelers" and placed under the surveillance of Chilean health authorities during their isolation period, the ministry said.

The virus has killed 631 people in Italy -- the toll jumped 168 on Tuesday alone -- with more than 10,000 infected, while Spain has recorded 1,639 cases and 36 deaths.

Chile has so far recorded 17 cases of the coronavirus, which has spread to 11 countries in the region since Brazil reported Latin America's first case on February 26.

El Salvador late Monday banned all arrivals from countries affected by the crisis, including Italy and Spain, as well as France, Germany, China, South Korea and Iran.

One person has died from the virus, in Argentina.