MADRID, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Spain confirmed its first novel coronavirus death on Tuesday evening.

Valencia's regional government said that a man who died in the region in east Spain on Feb. 13 from a "pneumonia of unknown origin" had in fact been suffering from COVID-19.

Ana Barcelo, head of Valencia's health authority, told a press conference that the victim was a "man of advanced age". Post-mortem analysis came back "positive".

The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Spain rose to 150 on Tuesday, its Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare confirmed. Health Minister Salvador Illa has announced new measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.