Portuguese president speaks during televised national speech in Lisbon

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa speaks during a televised national speech in Lisbon, Portugal, March 18, 2020. The president declared on Wednesday in a televised national speech a "state of emergency" in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. The state of emergency, the first of its kind in the Portuguese history, can be extended for another 15 days, according to the Portuguese law. The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Portugal rose to 642 on Wednesday, 194 more than on the previous day, according to the Directorate-General for Health (DGS). (Xinhua)