diff --git a/src/covid-19/covid_19_utils/covid_19_utils/converters/__init__.py b/src/covid-19/covid_19_utils/covid_19_utils/converters/__init__.py
index ef0d0e55b06681f93b407791d6f98f9d4e0a90cf..7b34f91e0d1e0faaf725412d95f3362b96201535 100644
--- a/src/covid-19/covid_19_utils/covid_19_utils/converters/__init__.py
+++ b/src/covid-19/covid_19_utils/covid_19_utils/converters/__init__.py
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ class CaseConverterImpl:
         except TypeError:
             pass
 
+        # make sure that date is datetime
+        df["date"] = pd.to_datetime(df["date"])
         return df[self.common_columns]
 
     # def _compute_daily_counts(self, df):
diff --git a/src/covid-19/covid_19_utils/covid_19_utils/converters/italy.py b/src/covid-19/covid_19_utils/covid_19_utils/converters/italy.py
index 1b45b301edaa495ba378ad7b54e28613e38e5703..e572068497bb2b38f6cd82885f7bc441d3c8b48c 100644
--- a/src/covid-19/covid_19_utils/covid_19_utils/converters/italy.py
+++ b/src/covid-19/covid_19_utils/covid_19_utils/converters/italy.py
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ class ItalyRegionalCaseConverter(CaseConverter):
         metadata["istatid"] = metadata.istatid.astype(int)
         df_conv = _correct_trentino(df_conv)
         merged = pd.merge(df_conv, metadata, on="istatid").drop_duplicates()
-
         return self._set_common_columns(merged)
 
     def read_data(self, path):
diff --git a/src/covid-19/covid_19_utils/covid_19_utils/converters/spain.py b/src/covid-19/covid_19_utils/covid_19_utils/converters/spain.py
index 6fc55482b6bda938d9d05bd9615e072838e74dd9..88d8834c22e8a6f2df6df9c05f89f53528db6286 100644
--- a/src/covid-19/covid_19_utils/covid_19_utils/converters/spain.py
+++ b/src/covid-19/covid_19_utils/covid_19_utils/converters/spain.py
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ class SpainCaseConverter(CaseConverter):
         # calculate incidence rates
         merged = df_conv.merge(pd.DataFrame(region_populations))
         merged["country"] = "ESP"
+        merged["country_label"] = "Spain"
 
         return self._set_common_columns(merged)