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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Helen Sullivan (now); Kevin Rawlinson, Haroon Siddique, Alexandra Topping, Matthew Weaver , Naaman Zhou and Calla Wahlquist (earlier)

El Salvador bans mass gatherings as virus spreads – as it happened

That’s it from me today. My colleague Helen Sullivan has taken over our coronavirus coverage on a new liveblog.

Updated

In China, man was pulled out alive after being trapped for 69 hours under the rubble of a collapsed virus quarantine hotel in southeastern China in which at least 20 other people died.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the man was sent to hospital immediately after being rescued late on Tuesday afternoon. Another nine people are missing from the collapse on Saturday.

Updated

Here’s a summary of the latest events:

  • Italy extended its lockdown measures. The prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, said shops – barring those needed for basic necessities, such as pharmacies and supermarkets – would be closed down. That added to the lockdown measures imposed on the whole country on Monday.
  • Two more people died in the UK, NHS England announced. The deaths took the number on UK soil to eight, while two British people have also died while abroad.
  • Four UK parliamentarians are in isolation amid coronavirus fears. They included an unnamed cabinet minister, two junior ministers and an opposition MP. Ed Argar became the second junior minister to be quarantined on Wednesday – following his Department of Health and Social Care colleague Nadine Dorries’s diagnosis the previous day. The Labour MP, Rachel Maskell, was also in isolation after coming into close contact with Dorries.
  • UK cases could keep rising for months, health secretary says. Matt Hancock told the Commons he did not expect the peak to be reached within weeks, saying it was more likely to be a matter of months. But he added that the outbreak was unlikely to last a year.

And you can read a summary of the day’s earlier events here.

El Salvador’s President has ordered a three-week ban on mass public gatherings, including concerts and sporting events, Reuters reports.

A disinfection worker wearing protective gears sprays anti-septic solution against the coronavirus in San Salvador, El Salvador.
A disinfection worker wearing protective gears sprays anti-septic solution against the coronavirus in San Salvador, El Salvador. Photograph: APHOTOGRAFIA/Getty Images

Saudi Arabia has reported 24 new coronavirus cases, bringing the kingdom’s total to 45, the state news agency reported, citing the health ministry. It added that one patient has recovered.

According to the report, the 24 new cases include two people who just came back from Iraq, a 12-year-old Saudi child who was in contact with her grandfather who came back from Iran, and 21 Egyptians who had contact with an Egyptian visitor previously reported to have the coronavirus.

Leading technology firms – Amazon, Google, and Facebook, as well as Microsoft and Apple – have gathered for talks at Downing Street this evening aimed at tackling disinformation about the pandemic, No 10 has said.

A spokeswoman has said:

The tech companies were invited to discuss and consider their role in modelling and tracking data of the disease, and the impact any government interventions were having upon keeping the public safe.

[Downing Street] officials set out the vital role they can play in helping deliver the government’s action plan, supporting the NHS, and helping develop tools we can use across the country as part of our national effort.

They stressed how important tech firms were in ensuring communities, including vulnerable people, had access to the most reliable information. This would help individuals and families make informed decisions about how to respond to the virus and keep themselves healthy.

In the meeting, the potential extent, scope and impact of disinformation linked to coronavirus was also discussed, and how we can all play a role in tackling this.

Ibaneis Rocha, governor of the Federal District where Brazil’s capital Brasília is located, will order classes in schools and universities suspended for five days from Thursday morning, Brazil’s CBN radio network in Brasília is reporting. Masses, shows and events with crowds will also be prohibited, it tweeted.

After UK authorities decided the parliament should stay open, Reuters reports that the US Capitol has confirmed it will close its doors to visitors.

Concerns were expressed in the Commons on Wednesday that remaining open – including to visitors – could worsen the situation in the UK.

The UK health secretary said earlier that the prime minister, Boris Johnson, is due to chair a meeting of the government’s Cobra committee on Thursday. The Press Association is reporting that ministers are expected to decide at that meeting whether or not the UK’s coronavirus response should move on from the “containment” to the “delay” phase.

Reuters reports that the prime minister’s spokesman has said such a step is expected to be taken.

Moving to delay would mean social distancing measures could be brought in, such as restricting public gatherings, and more widespread advice to stay at home.

Updated

In the UK, the Liberal Democrats have decided to cancel their spring conference in York this weekend due to coronavirus fears.

In a joint statement by the party’s president, Mark Pack, federal conference committee chair, Geoff Payne, and chief executive, Mike Dixon, it said it felt holding a conference would be contrary to public health advice.

We have paid close attention to the public health advice from the NHS, and note that some of the advice, such as around keeping distant from people who are ill, is in practice very hard to follow, given the format of our conference involves large numbers of strangers sitting close to each other for extended periods of time.

We are aware that many people, particularly those in high-risk groups, have said in the last few days that they are not coming to conference.

We very much want to avoid a situation where people feel unable to particulate in our democratic decision-making because of fears over their health.

The party said it would offer refunds on conference registration charges but that it was a “matter of regret” that some people would not be able to recover travel and accommodation costs, with the party itself having to “incur significant costs” as a result of the cancellation.

The Juventus player, Daniele Rugani, has tested positive for coronavirus, the Serie A club has said. And my colleague, Ed Aarons, has put together this roundup of how the outbreak has affected European football:

Third UK government minister in isolation

In addition to the unnamed cabinet minister, the junior health minister Ed Argar is also self-isolating after having dinner with Nadine Dorries on Thursday night, the Guardian understands.

UK cabinet minister in isolation

A cabinet minister is self-isolating while they await test results, a government source has confirmed, thought they would not confirm the identity of the minister.

Updated

The coronavirus outbreak has forced Canada to cancel an international meeting next week that was to discuss challenges to the World Trade Organisation, a Canadian trade ministry spokeswoman has said.

Canada chairs a group of 12 nations that, along with the European Union, is trying to reform WTO rules in the face of US actions that threaten to paralyse the body. The group had been scheduled to meet in Ottawa 18 March.

Brazil’s confirmed coronavirus cases jumped from 34 on Tuesday to 52 on Wednesday, the health ministry said, as fears about its spread in South America’s biggest country grew.

São Paulo state has the largest number of cases, with 30, followed by Rio de Janeiro, with 13. And 907 suspected cases are still being investigated. The president Jair Bolsonaro’s press secretary Fabio Wajngarten is one of them, according to the columnist Monica Bergamo. He was with Bolsonaro on last weekend’s US trip during which the Brazilian president dined with Donald Trump. Wajngarten denied the report in a tweet shortly after.

According to a ministry tweet, the health minister, Henrique Mandetta, told Congress:

We told all the health secretaries in the states: organise your hospital networks. It’s time to review contingency plans.

Congress agreed $1bn to fight the virus, he said. The government is evaluating more restrictive measures, such as stimulating people to work from home or changing the rules on workers’ sick days.

An analysis by the Pensi Institute, reported by the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper’s site, said that once Brazil has passed the 50 cases mark, it could reach 4,000 cases in 15 days and 30,000 cases within three weeks. The University of São Paulo suspended geography lessons after a student tested positive for the virus.

The education minister, Abraham Weintraub, said in a video schools and universities had been told to prepare plans for remote classes should they prove necessary. “When I go out in the car, I hope I don’t hit anything, but I put on the safety belt,” he tweeted.

But supporters of Bolsonaro, who has called the virus “oversized” insisted pro-government, anti-Congress demonstrations will go ahead on 15 March. “Let’s go to the streets this Sunday,” tweeted Central Bank economist Renan Leal, attacking coronavirus “hysteria”.

Here’s a little more detail on Conte’s comments, which mark a step unprecedented in peacetime. He has told Italians:

All shops will be closed apart from those for basic necessities, such as pharmacies and supermarkets. Industries can stay open, but with strict measures in place, as well as essential services such as banks. Transport will be guaranteed.

Conte warned Italy’s population not to “rush to the supermarkets” as shelves will be restocked as normal.

The latest restrictions come two days after the Conte introduced emergency measures across the whole of Italy and urged people to “stay at home” as the government strives to contain the spread of the virus.

As of Wednesday night, there were 10,590 current cases. Of that number, 5,763 are in Lombardy, with 560 of those in intensive care.

The latest restrictions come after schools, universities, cultural sites, museums, theatres, cinemas and ski resorts were closed, and crowd-drawing events such as concerts and sporting events banned.

Just a few days ago I asked you to change your habits and stay at home, and you have responded in an extraordinary way. You are making enormous sacrifices, I know that’s not easy, but these [sacrifices] are making a great and precious contribution to the country. The whole world is watching us, especially watching the number of cases.

Conte said the impact of the stringent measures would only be clear “in a few weeks”. “If we all respect these rules, the quicker we will overcome this.”

Italy extends lockdown measures

Italians are facing up to yet more stringent measures designed to combat the outbreak after learning on Monday they would be placed in lockdown conditions. The country’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, has now said shops – barring supermarkets, food stores and chemists – will be shut down, while companies must close all their departments that are not essential to production.

Services such as hairdressers and beauty parlours will also be closed, along with bars and restaurants that cannot guarantee they can keep a distance of at least one metre between customers. Referring to the daily bulletins announcing the number of new cases and deaths, Conte said:

We will only be able to see the effects of this great effort in a couple of weeks.

Conte’s office said the new measures would be in force from Thursday until 25 March.

Updated

In Sydney, Australia’s most populous city and the centre of the Australian outbreak of Covid-19, the premier of New South Wales Gladys Berejiklian has just announced there are now 77 cases across that state, out of 128 in Australia.

Most of the cases are patients who have travelled overseas or who have had close contact with a confirmed case in Australia.

But NSW’s chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant, said there were cases presenting in the state without an obvious epidemiological link, suggesting the Covid-19 was spreading in the community undetected.

What is more challenging is that we have had cases where we can’t find an epidemiological link.

Overnight, we have seen cases being diagnosed in people without overseas travel. Those cases are being thoroughly interviewed to ensure that we can identify any links to other confirmed cases to build up our picture.

Updated

Panama’s government has ordered the temporary closure of all schools, public and private, due to coronavirus concerns, its health minister has said.

Olympic organisers have insisted the Tokyo Games will go ahead as planned in July, despite the sharp spike in Covid‑19 cases across the globe.

Yoshiro Mori, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics chief, said his team were not considering changing plans for the Games – and that a board member who had suggested a delay because of the coronavirus had apologised.

Sources at the International Olympic Committee are also stressing that nothing has changed, with those in the organisation pointing out there is still more than four months before the Games begin.

Here’s a little more detail on Trump’s hint that he could advise against travel to the whole of Europe. The US president said:

We made a great decision on China and Asia. They’re healing and they’re healing at a pretty good rate. Happy about that. And we could start to think about getting back involved in that part of the world.

As you know we have another part of the world – Europe – that’s in very tough shape. It’s having a hard time right now with the virus. And we’ll be making various decisions.

The White House’s coronavirus task force is recommending strategies to combat the outbreak in the hard-hit counties of King, Pierce and Snohomish in Washington state and Santa Clara in California.

In a statement released by the vice president Mike Pence’s office, the task force said its recommendations included workplaces encouraging telework and expanding sick leave policies, and community and faith-based organisations cancelling gatherings “of any size”, Reuters reports.

Earlier, the UK’s health secretary, Matt Hancock, said the number of cases could keep rising for months. He has since said he expects the outbreak not to last a year. The Labour MP, Chi Onwurah, asked when public health authorities will know their funding allocations for the next financial year starting in April.

How can they plan an effective public health campaign? So will the Secretary of State at least confirm when they will be told what their budget is and also that the increase – and there will be an increase – will increase for the duration of the crisis?

Hancock replied:

Yes, of course, because I expect this crisis to last for less than a year. I have been absolutely clear that the allocations will increase in real terms and therefore everybody can plan on that basis and we will get the details out as soon as we can.

Care homes in the UK could face “very worrying staffing gaps” if the coronavirus outbreak worsens, a think tank is warning.

Helen Buckingham, director of strategy at the Nuffield Trust, raised concerns that if carers are unable to work due to ill-health or their own caring responsibilities, it could have a “knock-on impact”.

Additionally, she said vulnerable people in the social care sector may need to be hospitalised - putting pressure on the health service. It comes following the Budget announcement on Wednesday which made no mention of extra money for social care. Buckingham has said:

One of the biggest concerns about Covid-19 is how it will affect social care – a sector already struggling after a well-known funding squeeze. If the coronavirus outbreak gets worse, it could mean that more vulnerable people already receiving care may need to be hospitalised - compounding the strain on a health service already under significant pressure.

What’s more, social care is very reliant on the people working within it. If staff are unable to work either through illness or through their own caring responsibilities, social care will face some very worrying staffing gaps, which could have a knock-on impact on the quality of care people receive.

Local authorities will need to play an important role in overseeing the provision of social care in their area, and work alongside their local providers on resilience plans.

The coronavirus-stricken Grand Princess cruise ship entered its third day docked in the port of Oakland, California, with passengers continuing to slowly disembark to quarantine locations outside the city.

When officials made the call to reroute the cruise ship to Oakland instead of to its original destination of San Francisco, they said they based their decision on logistics – the port was larger and had a section that could easily be isolated.

But, to many in Oakland, a historically more racially diverse and impoverished city long overshadowed by its counterpart across the bay, the decision – however rational – opened old wounds, steeped in racial and environmental discrimination. The Oakland council member, Rebecca Kaplan, has said:

If you look at the type of comments that Oakland people have been posting about on social media, it’s not like anybody would wish ill on the ship passengers. It’s that this is a pattern and a history that San Francisco treats Oakland this way. They’re using Oakland to solve a San Francisco problem.

In the House of Commons, the Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy has criticised the decision to keep parliament open.

Keeping Parliament functioning as normal with public visiting is simply irresponsible. As others are encouraged to cancel large meetings and events and unnecessary travel, we instigate large meetings, host events and receptions and travel from all across the country.

I’m concerned that we’re potentially spreading the virus. My biomedical training tells me that a number of members in this House probably already have the virus.

And I’m genuinely concerned about older members of this House and older members in our constituencies and those with underlying health conditions.

Hancock replied:

I’m delighted that parliament is staying open, there are of course considerations around procedures and how the House operates that are rightly the matter for the Commons Leader, the Speaker, the House of Commons Commissions.

Updated

A Florida couple onboard a cruise ship stricken with the coronavirus has filed a $1m lawsuit against the boat’s operator, Princess Cruises, for failing to protect passengers amid the global Covid-19 outbreak. The lawsuit filed this week by Ronald and Eva Weissberger in a federal court in Los Angeles reads:

As a result of [Princess Cruises’] lackadaisical approach to the safety of the plaintiffs, its passengers and crew about the Grand Princess, plaintiffs are at actual risk of immediate physical injury.

Denmark is to close all schools, universities and day care facilities in the coming days to curb the spread of coronavirus, the country’s prime minister has said. All employees in the public sector with non-critical jobs are to be sent home starting on Friday, Mette Frederiksen added.

The US president, Donald Trump, has hinted that he may advise Americans not to travel to Europe and will discuss declaring a national emergency when he gives a televised address later on Wednesday. He is due to speak at 8pm EDT (midnight GMT).

Updated

Returning to the UK, the Labour MP Maria Eagle has asked the health secretary about the decision to allow Atlético Madrid fans to come to the UK for their team’s Champions League last 16 second leg match:

Schools and colleges are closed in Madrid and public gatherings of over 1,000 people banned because there’s a cluster of 782 coronavirus cases and there have been 35 deaths.

Is it really sensible for fans who couldn’t watch their team at home to be able to travel to Liverpool and watch their team play with 51,000 locals? Is that really sensible?

Hancock replied:

We are aiming at the things that have the biggest impact and there are some things that feel right but don’t have an impact at all, and that’s why it’s so important to follow the science and what Public Health England say.

Updated

Egypt has registered seven new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number to 67, its health ministry has said.

Of the total number, at least 45 cases have been detected on a River Nile cruise ship in the popular tourist destination of Luxor, and a German tourist who died in a hospital in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.

Of the registered cases, 27 people have recovered and eight have been released from a quarantine hospital – including six Egyptians and two foreigners, the health ministry added.

The number of cases in Costa Rica has increased to 22, up from 13, the Central American country’s health ministry has said.

The US state department has decided to suspend non-essential travel and will only permit mission-critical trips, three sources have told Reuters.

One, who spoke to the news agency on condition of anonymity, said decisions about travel by employees stationed abroad would be made by US embassies and consulates, while Washington-based staff must obtain approval from their bureau. The agency did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Updated

In France, the health minister Olivier Véran said that, because the virus is not spreading in a uniform way, we have to have specific approach ready everywhere to adapt to the situation.

He outlined two new clusters: in Corsica and around Montpelier in the south of the country, where all schools would be closed until 29 March. Vulnerable people are advised to stay at home.

We have to protect ourselves those who cannot do it individually we have to do it collectively especially for the elderly.

There would be no external visits to old peoples’ homes for “several weeks”, he said, and “all measures will be taken to make situation more simple for the elderly and their relatives”.

Jérôme Salomon gave the updated figures in France. There are now 2,281 confirmed cases in 10 main cluster in France and 48 deaths, 25 male and 23 female.

Hancock sought to set out advice for staff as he said parliament would stay open. According to parliamentary staff union representatives, they should be allowed to work from home and have not yet been told how to handle thousands of visitors to Westminster during the coronavirus crisis.

Max Freedman, the chair of Unite’s parliamentary branch which represents MPs’ staff, has told the Guardian:

MPs may wish to carry on as normal, but House of Commons authorities must explain why they aren’t allowing staff to work remotely – something that can be done with minimum disruption – to stop further spread within a large and mobile workplace. MPs should also allow staff to work remotely particularly if they are at increased risk.

A joint letter to the Commons Speaker Sir Lyndsay Hoyle from the Prospect union, as well as the GMB and PCS unions, demands “clear guidance” on how parliamentary staff, including tourists guides and security guards, can minimise the risk of infection.

Ken Gall, chair of the joint union committee across parliament, wrote that there were many unanswered questions for Parliamentary staff.

Is Parliament intending to allow visits to continue? If so, what measures are you taking to assure and protect those staff who will be in close proximity to those visitors? Is it possible to get some bespoke advice from health professionals specifically for security staff/visitor assistants/catering?

Will you confirm that any staff who are advised to stay at home as a precaution, as a result of infection, to care for someone else (such as children in the event of school closure), or as a result of some or all services being suspended or cancelled will not suffer financially?

Finally, how should managers respond to staff who raise concerns about coming into work, due to the outbreak?


While parliamentary staff are still expected to travel to Westminster, at least two government departments have told some staff to work remotely on Friday in preparation for asking thousands of civil servants to stay away from central London offices if the disease spreads dramatically, Whitehall sources have confirmed.

As No 10 begins preparations for allowing most civil servants to work from home, some staff at both the Department of Health and Social Care and the Cabinet Office have been told to stay away but continue to work, sources have said. A cabinet office spokesperson has said:

Like many employers, the civil service is committed to flexible working and it has long been the case that staff are able to work from home when required.

Referring to the announcement of the latest deaths in the UK, the chief medical officer for England, Prof Chris Whitty, has said:

I am sorry to confirm a seventh and eighth patient in England who tested positive for Covid-19 have sadly died. I offer my sincere condolences to their families and friends and ask that their privacy is respected.

One was an older patient who was being treated at George Eliot Hospital NHS trust for a number of serious underlying health conditions.

The second patient in their 70s at the Dudley Group NHS foundation trust was being treated for underlying health conditions.

He refers to the “seventh” and “eighth” deaths – they are the seventh and eighth on UK soil. Two more British people have died while abroad.

Updated

Cases could keep rising for months – UK health secretary

Responding to Hunt’s assertion that England’s deputy chief medical officer had said the peak for UK cases could come within the next fortnight, Hancock replied that Dr Jenny Harries had actually said the climb towards the peak is expected to intensify within the next couple of weeks – and it could go on climbing for months.

The deputy chief medical officer ... said that, in the next couple of weeks, we may see the numbers starting to rise fast to their peak.

We do not expect numbers to peak in the next fortnight, we expect numbers to continue to rise after that and the peak would be after a matter of a couple of months, rather than in a matter of a couple weeks. This is a marathon and not a sprint.

The former health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, asks Hancock if he believes the virus can still be contained in the UK.

Hancock says the WHO’s decision to designate the outbreak as a pandemic means that organisation believes it will spread throughout the world.

Responding to Ashworth’s question about more stringent measures, Hancock says different countries are at different stages and some are not following the science – though he would not seek to criticise them for that.

The health secretary says the UK government will follow the scientific advice and “do the right thing at the right time”.

Updated

Responding, Hancock says parliamentary staff who are unwell – but unsure whether or not they’ve been in contact with Dorries – should call 111.

The shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, is now on his feet responding to Hancock’s statement. He asks the health secretary to convey his best wishes to Dorries and her staff.

He thanks Hancock for the updated advice and agrees that MPs must be able to scrutinise the government.

Ashworth asks for clarification on guidance for those on the parliamentary estate who are ill but are not sure whether or not they’ve come into contact with Dorries – should they get tested? And he says Labour is supportive of the chief medical officer and agrees with the government that its actions should be determined by the science.

But he asks for more detail on when the UK will move to the next phase of its four-part plan and take more stringent measures to enforce social distancing.

Updated

The health secretary says regular meetings of the UK government’s civil contingencies committee Cobra are taking place, including one to be chaired by the prime minister on Thursday, and that the government will do whatever it takes to battle the spread of the virus.

Updated

Hancock says he knows people will be concerned by the WHO’s decision to term the outbreak a pandemic today and reiterates the advice to people showing symptoms to seek medical help and to everyone to wash their hands thoroughly.

Updated

Hancock says the latest scientific advice will be followed when deciding whether or not to continue on this course. He also says experts are meeting daily to determine what is the best advice to give to government.

The health secretary also wishes Nadine Dorries well, saying experts are tracing those who’ve been in close contact with her since last Thursday.

Updated

Summary

The UK health secretary, Matt Hancock, is addressing the Commons.

He says parliament will stay open. The House of Commons may need to function differently but the government must be scrutinised, he tells MPs.

10th UK death announced

NHS England has announced that another person has died after testing positive for coronavirus. They are the eighth to die in the UK, the authorities say. Two more British people have also died abroad.

Dr Catherine Free, the medical director at George Eliot Hospital NHS trust has said:

The trust can confirm that an elderly patient being treated for a number of serious underlying health conditions has died. The patient had tested positive for Covid-19.

The family has been informed and our condolences and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

Referring to the eighth death to be announced, Diane Wake, the chief executive of the Dudley Group NHS foundation trust, has said:

The trust can confirm that a patient in their 70s being treated for underlying health conditions has died. The patient had tested positive for Covid-19.

The family has been informed and our condolences and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

Updated

Ninth UK death announced

A seventh patient has died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus, NHS England said. Two UK citizens had previously been announced to have died overseas – one in Japan and one in Bali.

Updated

Spain cases rise

On Wednesday evening, the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Spain rose to 2,152 almost half of which - 1,024 - were in the Madrid region. Fifty people have so far died from the virus, 31 of them in the capital and the surrounding area. Spain has the second highest number of confirmed cases of the virus in Europe after Italy.

Kuwait bans foreign travellers

The official Kuwait state news agency, Kuna, quotes government spokesman Tareq al-Mezrem as saying:

Incoming flights to Kuwait International airport will be restricted on [sic] Kuwaiti travellers and first-degree relatives.

Kuwait, which has 72 confirmed coronavirus cases, also announced a public holiday from 12 March to 26 March, except for entities providing essential services, the National reports.

UK sport latest

Here is the latest on how coronavirus is affecting sporting events in the UK:

British Airways criticised over Italy flights

British Airways has come under fire for a second day over its decision to cancel, with immediate effect, all flights out of Italy yesterday leaving thousands stranded.

It was also criticised for advising passengers to go across the border to Switzerland.

Rory Boland, travel editor at Which? magazine, said:

British Airways’ offer of refunds, rebooking at a later date or flights from Switzerland will be useless for many passengers who fear they will be stranded in Italy while the country is in lockdown.

The consumer magazine called on the Civil Aviation Authority to monitor the situation closely to ensure BA and other airlines were complying with their legal obligations. Boland said:

BA must fulfill its duty to passengers by giving them adequate information and support while they are stuck in Italy and putting them on the earliest available alternative flights out of the country – with other carriers if necessary.

India 'bans foreign travellers'

India announced some of the most extreme action taken to date with respect to foreign tourists.

Guatemala bans Europeans

The Guatemalan health minister, Hugo Monroy, said on Wednesday the country will ban the entry of European citizens in an attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The Central American country, which has yet to confirm any cases of the virus, will block the entry of Europeans starting tomorrow, Monroy told a news conference.

The country’s director of civil aviation will communicate the ban to airlines, Monroy added, underlining that it applied to citizens from across Europe.

“This is done simply to prevent the introduction of the coronavirus to our country,” Monroy said.

Updated

'No testing on arrival from Milan'

Alberto Volpe, a 33-year-old, was feverish when he flew from Milan to Gatwick on Sunday after being forced to return home from a skiing holiday in Chamonix due to an injury to his girlfriend.

He said:

The captain informed the port authorities that people with the coronavirus may have been onboard as the cabin crew reported a few people coughing, so we waited an hour and a half before disembarking but no one came on board to check us.

I find it crazy no one checked us. It was just like any other flight. In Italy, everyone is having their temperature measured. It is not happening in the UK and, most importantly, not on a flight containing people coming from the now quarantined areas. How else can you contain any possible risk? It’s bizarre.

We took the train home to Brighton and I measured my body temperature which was 37.5 degrees and I started having diarrhoea. We rang 111 and explained where we had been and were told we should be in quarantine. They gave us the option of driving to a tent for testing or waiting for someone to call us within 48 hours to arrange a home test. But more than two days later and we were not contacted.

We rang them again this morning and they literally word for word said the same things. I’m sure I will be fine but I can’t understand why it takes so long to test someone who has a fever and has been in the area.

Updated

Washington bans gatherings of more than 250 people

The governor of Washington state, USA, Jay Inslee, has today prohibited gatherings of more than 250 people and said he may soon close schools to slow the spread of coronavirus in a state suffering the deadliest outbreak in the United States.

The ban on gatherings applies to King, Snohomish and Pierce counties in the Seattle area and is aimed at sports, concerts and other cultural events, Inslee told a press conference.

Washington state has reported over a quarter of the more than 1,000 US coronavirus cases and the majority of the 31 deaths, putting pressure on Inslee to slow the virus’s spread to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed.

He said:

The decisions we are making over the coming days are going to be profoundly disturbing to how we live our daily lives.

The Democratic governor, who has clashed with the president, Donald Trump, over his response to coronavirus, also faces pressure from parents and health experts to close all schools in the hard-hit greater-Seattle area.

Inslee said he had asked all school districts in the state to make contingency plans for possible closures within the next several days.

Updated

UK care home hit by coronavirus

A member of staff at a care home in Northamptonshire for people with learning disabilities and those with physical disabilities and mobility issues has tested positive for Covid-19, the Northamptonshire Telegraph reports.

There have been fears about the impact the virus could have should it take hold in a care home in the UK, particularly one where there are older people and/or those with underlying health conditions which make them more susceptible to Covid-19.

In the US, 19 deaths out of a nationwide total of 31 to date were linked to one suburban Seattle nursing home.

Saudi shuts cinemas

Saudi Arabia announced today it will close cinemas until further notice to try to halt the spread of coronavirus, its state news agency has reported.

Massive livestock exhibition/rodeo shut early.

One of the world’s largest livestock exhibitions and rodeos is being shut down early in Houston, Texas, USA, “in the interest of public health”.

It was supposed to run until 22 March.

UK testing regime criticised

A retired intensive care doctor claims the government plans to increase coronavirus testing are “way too late” after he and his friends were repeatedly refused tests despite falling ill following an Austrian skiing trip.

Six of the group, from Chichester, suffered severe flu-like symptoms after a trip to Ischgl in Austria, earlier this month, he said. The resort is classed as a virus risk area by some countries, including Iceland and Norway, but not the UK. As a result all of the group have been denied tests by the NHS 111 service. It has also closed bars as a precaution.

The 55 year-year-old former doctor, who gave his name only as Andrew, said he had also fallen ill at an earlier trip to the same resort in January:

I’ve never been so ill. I was hoping they would just test me anyway and to prove I’ve had it. My friends have all phoned NHS 111 and they’ve all been told several times that as they haven’t been to an at risk area they can’t be tested and they should even self isolate.

These people are saying they are as ill as they’ve ever been, and they still can’t do a test.

The reason we’ve got relatively low numbers in this country at the moment is because they’re only been testing about 1,500 a day. I think the infection has been widespread for a month now.

They may be upping the testing but they haven’t put Ischgl on a high risk list, despite knowing about this for days. It is a massive cluster. Six of us have been back in Chichester going about their daily life. I suspect we’ll find a big cluster in Chichester two weeks.

The increase in testing is way too late. I think it was obvious six weeks ago that we should have been doing surveillance screening. Lives are at risk here.

Ischgl, Austria
Ischgl, Austria Photograph: skiwrite.co.uk

Updated

Experts react to pandemic declaration

Here is some expert reaction on WHO’s declaration of a coronavirus pandemic:

Prof Mark Woolhouse, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, said:

The statement … says that this does not change their advice on how to respond and that “urgent and aggressive” action is required by countries with significant outbreaks. An important word missing from that statement is “sustainable”. It is now clear that Covid-19 is going to be with us for a considerable length of time and the actions that we take must be actions that we can live with for a prolonged period.

Dr Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton, said:

The World Health Organization stated that some countries are struggling with a lack of resources, but also ‘a lack of resolve’. This is clearly a direct indication that they consider many countries have been slow to scale up their responses. The declaration of a pandemic may mean that we see countries feel incentivised to implement further larger interventions, such as banning of public gatherings, sooner than would they were otherwise planning to.

Dr Nathalie MacDermott, NIHR (National Institute for Health Research) academic clinical lecturer, King’s College London, said:

This decision will likely have been made on the basis of the majority of the world’s continents now seeing significant and ongoing person to person spread of Sars-Cov2. The change of term does not alter anything practically as the world has been advised for the last few weeks to prepare for a potential pandemic, which has hopefully been taken seriously by all countries. The use of this term, however, highlights the importance of countries throughout the world working cooperatively and openly with one another and coming together as a united front in our efforts to bring this situation under control.

Updated

Lebanon closes all restaurants and cafes

Lebanon has announced sweeping measures to curtail the spread of the virus, closing all restaurants and cafes until further notice, banning flights from Iran and Italy and citizens from France, Egypt and Spain, and giving Lebanese citizens four days to return home from France, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Germany, Spain and the UK.

The country recorded it’s 61st case of the virus on Wednesday and second death attributed to coronavirus. There are suspicions that the virus may have taken broader hold in the community and fears that the embattled country’s health system may not be able to cope.

Officials have faced criticism for maintaining an airbridge with Iran – a pilgrimage and trade destination for the country’s Shia sect. Iran has experienced the worst corona outbreak in the Middle East and has been the hub for much of its regional spread.

The closure of restaurants adds to the country’s already dire economic situation. This week it defaulted on debt payments for the first time and had a total collapse in tourism and significant capital flight offshore in the past four months.

Updated

Major gaming event cancelled

A major fair for the gaming industry, E2 2020 in Los Angeles, has joined the long list of events that have fallen victim to attempts to minimise the spread of coronavirus.

The organisers said in a statement:

After careful consultation with our member companies regarding the health and safety of everyone in our industry – our fans, our employees, our exhibitors, and our longtime E3 partners – we have made the difficult decision to cancel E3 2020, scheduled for 9-11 June in Los Angeles.

Following increased and overwhelming concerns about the Covid-19 virus, we felt this was the best way to proceed during such an unprecedented global situation. We are very disappointed that we are unable to hold this event for our fans and supporters. But we know it’s the right decision based on the information we have today.

Gaming fans wait in long lines to play new Nintendo Switch games at the 2019 Electronic Entertainment Expo, also known as E3, in Los Angeles last year
Gaming fans wait in long lines to play new Nintendo Switch games at the 2019 Electronic Entertainment Expo, also known as E3, in Los Angeles last year Photograph: Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

Italy deaths increase by 196

The death toll from the coronavirus in Italy has risen from 631 to 827 in a day, Reuters reports. At the same time, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country rose by more than 2,000, from 10,149 on Tuesday to 12,462 today, it says.

Updated

'Face masks should be exported to where needed' - EU

The European commission has sought to deflect criticism of a lack of solidarity within the EU, provoked by a decision by Germany and France to put export controls on masks amid a shortage.

Following a phone call on Wednesday afternoon, the Italian prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, and the European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, issued a joint statement calling for “any restrictive measure by member states to be first discussed at the European level, so that vital supplies go where they are needed most, the internal market functions properly and any unjustified obstacle is avoided”.

The statement also emphasised that the country was at the “forefront” of the crisis and that there would be further coordination with the 26 other member states as the epidemic was formally described as a pandemic by the WHO.

Japanese tourists wear face protection masks in the metro in Paris
Japanese tourists wear face protection masks in the metro in Paris Photograph: Johanna Geron/Reuters

Updated

Restrictions on UK citizens entering Vietnam

Vietnam had already announced suspension of its visa waiver programme for UK citizens but the UK embassy there says it has imposed more restrictions on visitors from the UK.

On social media. there are lots of Britons claiming there is in effect a blanket ban on issuing visas for Vietnam to UK citizens.

UK schools closure petition reaches 250,000 signatures

A petition calling for the government to consider closing schools across the UK because of coronavirus has risen to more than 250,000 signatures in the six days since it was launched.

The petition hosted on parliament’s website calls for the government “to at least consider closing schools/colleges down in the coming weeks or as soon as possible, in addition to taking necessary actions to prevent further spread”.

The petition, launched by a user named Sami Attout, argues:

We would like the government or parliament to enforce this action due to the growing fear among parents and students that attend school. The ability to focus or concentrate is affected, in addition to the growing fears of coronavirus.

The petition has easily met the 100,000-signatures requirement needed for parliament to schedule a debate on the topic.

With Poland, Greece and Ukraine joining Italy in closing all schools and universities, there has been speculation that authorities in the UK will take similar action once the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases hits a certain level.

Other countries including France and Germany have opted to keep most schools open, despite having more confirmed cases than the UK.

The Department for Education in England said possible measures such as school closures “will be continually kept under review and the impact of all measures will be carefully considered”.

Updated

Four new cases in Wales

A further four people in Wales have tested positive for coronavirus – bringing the total number of Welsh cases to 19, its chief medical officer has said.

Dr Frank Atherton said three of the new cases – two from the Powys area and one from the Swansea area – had returned to Wales from northern Italy.

A fourth person from the Caerphilly area has no history of travel to another country where the virus is present, and is not known to have had contact with anyone else with it.

Earlier today, it was confirmed a worker at the Office for National Statistics in Newport had tested positive for the virus.

Updated

First community transmission in Scotland

The number of positive cases of the coronavirus in Scotland was 36 as of Wednesday morning, including the first case of the virus being transmitted within the community, up nine in 24 hours.

Previously, the cases of the virus have been traced to people travelling to affected areas. According to official Scottish figures 2,316 tests have been carried out.

The country’s chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, said:

We have identified the first case of community transmission in Scotland which is unrelated to contact or travel. This was identified through our enhanced surveillance scheme

It is important to emphasise that we are still in the containment phase. This case was to be expected and highlights the importance of the additional measures we have put in place to identify positive cases beyond self-identification.

Updated

'Lack of resolve' in some countries, says WHO

Tedros says it is a “crisis that affects every sector”. The WHO director general says:

This is everybody’s business.

He says looking at the number of cases reported and number of countries affected “doesn’t tell the full story”.

All countries can still change the course of this pandemic.

Swift action can prevent larger clusters and community transmission and even if they fail to do so “they can turn the tide”.

The challenge is not whether countries can change the course of the virus but whether they will, Tedros says. He says come countries are struggling with a lack of capacity but says some are struggling with a lack of resolve.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO)
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) Photograph: Salvatore Di Nolfi/EPA

Updated

Pandemic 'is not a word to use lightly'

The WHO director general said:

Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death.

Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO’s assessment of the threat posed by this coronavirus. It doesn’t change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do

Updated

Covid-19 declared pandemic

The daily World Health Organization briefing has just begun. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general, says there are more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries, and 4,291 people have lost their lives.

He says it has reached the stage where it can be described as a pandemic.

Updated

Travel restrictions summary

Many countries have imposed restrictions on people who have travelled to regions with a high number of coronavirus cases. This guide, updated daily, provides useful information on the different preventative measures being put in place.

Sweden reports first death

Sweden joins a number of countries that reported their first death(s) from covid-19 today. The elderly patient, who had “an underlying sickness”, died in intensive care at a hospital in the Stockholm region, Reuters reports.

Sweden has about 460 confirmed cases of the virus, the first of which was identified at the end of January. The regional health authority said one other patient with coronavirus was being treated in intensive care in the Stockholm region.

With the rapid increase in the number of cases in Sweden in recent days, the Public Health Agency today asked the Swedish government to ban gatherings of more than 500 people in a bid to stop the spread of the disease.

Updated

Ukraine closing schools, banning large gatherings

Another European country is taking drastic measures to curb the spread of coronavirus. Despite only having one confirmed case to date, Ukraine has said it is closing all educational institutions (which also includes nurseries and universities) from tomorrow until 3 April, the Kyiv Post reports.

It also says that gatherings of more than 200 people will be banned. The country has only tested 43 people, 41 of whom have tested negative, with one still being examined.

US 'risks acting too late'

Anthony Fauci, the top US official on infectious disease, testifying to the House oversight committee, urging more aggressive preemptive action in the US:

If we don’t do very serious mitigation now, what’s going to happen is that we’re going to be weeks behind, and the horse is going to be out of the barn, and that’s the reason why we’ve been saying, even in areas of the country, where there are no or few cases, we’ve got to change our behaviour. We have to essentially assume that we are going to get hit. And that’s why we talk about making mitigation and containment in a much more vigorous way.

Greta Thunberg urges virtual strike

Greta Thunberg, who was the inspiration for the climate strikes, has urged people to switch to a “digital strike”, given the need to avoid large gatherings to minimise the chances of spreading coronavirus.

Headteacher of UK school self-isolates

The headteacher of a leading grammar school in Essex is in self-isolation after coming into contact with a child’s grandfather who has tested positive for coronavirus, the Echo reports.

It says the grandparent attended Westcliff High School for Boys last week and had contact with a small number of teachers, including the headteacher and, as a precaution, the teachers who had direct contact are self-isolating. None have shown any symptoms of the virus, they continue to work from home and the school remains open, it adds.

Hungary declares state of emergency

Hungary has declared a state of emergency in response to the coronavirus outbreak, closing universities and banning large gatherings, Index.hu reports.

It says outdoor events of more than 500 people and indoor events of more than 100 people have been banned. This includes cinemas and theatres but not workplaces and shopping malls, it reports.

There is also a ban on school trips abroad. The country has announced 13 confirmed cases so far.

UK prime minister questions response in other countries

The UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, has invited the country’s UK deputy medical officer into number 10 Downing Street for a Q&A about coronavirus. Unusually, he is the interviewer rather than the interviewee, although, of course, he did used to be a journalist.

It covers how to wash your hands, whether to wear face masks and more ...

Johnson suggests that other governments under pressure are doing things like cancelling sporting events in decisions which are “not dictated by science”.

Two more deaths in Belgium

Belgium’s health ministry has announced an additional two deaths from Covid-19, having earlier reported the country’s first fatality from the virus.

The two men who died were aged 73 and 86. Earlier, the ministry said a 90-year-old woman had died. In total, 314 cases have been confirmed in the country.

Updated

Barclays employee tests positive in London

A Barclays employee has tested positive for coronavirus in its 5 North Colonnade office in London’s Canary Wharf financial district, the bank has confirmed.

An employee on the ninth floor of the building, which mainly houses Barclays investment bank workers, tested positive for the disease, the bank said.

After Reuters reported the case from a Barclays internal mail, the bank said in a statement:

The colleague has been in self-quarantine since 9 March, following notification of their potential exposure to the virus.

The bank has told colleagues who sit near the affected person to self-quarantine but is keeping the building and the floor open, the bank said. It is also undertaking a deep clean of the affected floor.

The Barclays employee is the second confirmed case of coronavirus in Canary Wharf, London’s second largest financial district of Canary Wharf, after HSBC sent 100 people home last week following a confirmed diagnosis.

Traders work on the trading floor of Barclays Bank at Canary Wharf in London
Traders work on the trading floor of Barclays Bank at Canary Wharf in London Photograph: Simon Dawson/Reuters

First death reported in Bulgaria

A 66-year-old Bulgarian woman has became the first to die of the coronavirus in the country, its health ministry said today.

The woman was taken to an emergency hospital in Sofia yesterday with severe pneumonia. She was the sixth Bulgarian with a confirmed coronavirus infection.

The country’s first four confirmed cases were only announced on Sunday.

Updated

First death reported in Ireland

The Irish Times reports that Ireland has recorded its first death from coronavirus.

It says that the patient, understood to be elderly, died in the east of the republic, where they had been treated in recent days after initially presenting with respiratory symptoms.

Ireland has 34 confirmed cases to date.

Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), gave the House oversight committee the latest official figures on the US outbreak - 990 national cases in 38 states plus the District of Columbia, and 31 deaths in the United States.

He said the CDC diagnostic test is now in 75 US public health labs in all 50 states, with the capacity in the public health system to test up to 75,000 people.

On 2 March, the administration promised that a million tests would be available by the end of that week. Carolyn Maloney, the committee chair, wanted to know why the actual number is so much lower and why “South Korea can test more people in one day than we tested over the past two months”.

Redfield said that a test had been developed quickly but added:

We rapidly tried to expand that and scale it up with a contractor so each public health lab in this country would have that test. During that process of quality control we found that one of the reagents wasn’t working appropriately. And we had to modify that with the FDA, and that took several weeks to get that completed.

Hello, this is Haroon Siddique taking over the blog.

If you want to get in touch, you can do so via the following channels:

Twitter: @Haroon_Siddique

Email: haroon[dot]siddique[at]theguardian[dot]com

European travel restricted in Malta

Travel between Malta and Switzerland, Germany, France and Spain is being banned as from midnight tonight, the government has announced, according to the Times of Malta liveblog.


The same restriction already applies for travel from Italy, reports the Times of Malta.

Prime Minister Robert Abela told a press conference on Wednesday afternoon that arrivals from those four countries today, and anyone who arrived from Italy in the past 14 days has to observe mandatory quarantine at home.

People who live in the same residence also need to observe quarantine. Tourists have to stay in their hotel rooms.

Arrangements would be made for meals to be delivered to people in quarantine. Arrangements will also be made for the repatriation of stranded travellers.

Spot checks will be made by the police and anyone failing to observe quarantine orders will be subject to a €1,000 fine.

Romania introduces further restrictions

Romania has introduced further restrictions to try to limit the spread of coronavirus, with 35 confirmed cases in the country as of Wednesday afternoon, including 15 in the capital, Bucharest, writes my colleague Kit Gillet.

After announcing on Monday that all schools and pre-schools would be shut across the country from 11 March until at least 22 March, the government placed restriction on Wednesday on all cultural, entertainment, religious and scientific events held in enclosed spaces, limiting attendance to under 100 people. This includes theatres, cinemas and churches. Museums have also been shut until the end of the month.

Larger private companies have also been advised to stagger starting hours for employees, to avoid overcrowding on public transport, with larger public institutions required to enact these measures.

There have so far been 35 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Romania, with six individuals having been discharged from hospital. A further 487 individuals are in quarantine, and almost 12,000 under home monitoring. There have been no fatalities in the country to date, linked to the virus.

The country has already suspended all flights to and from Italy, where there is a sizeable Romanian diaspora, until at least 23 March.

Updated

Number of cases in Greece increases to 99

Health authorities in Greece have announced that the number of coronavirus cases in the country has risen to 99 – an increase of 10 since yesterday, writes my colleague Helena Smith.

Of that number four are foreigners, according to Sotiris Tsiodras, delivering the latest update on Covid-19 at the health ministry. The infectious diseases expert said two remained in intensive care units at hospitals in Patras and Thessaloniki.

A 65-year-old man, who contracted the virus visiting Israel and Egypt on a group tour of religious sites, is battling for his life. While 29 were hospitalised in Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras and Lesbos, the remaining 68 were in self-isolation in their homes.

Greece has closed all schools and universities for the next two weeks in an effort to contain the outbreak, first noted in the west of the country. The Greek Orthodox church also announced that it would close Sunday schools and youth clubs but in a statement released by its governing body, the holy synod, said it would continue holding church services despite fears over the potential health risks of amassing congregations of mostly elderly people more likely to be vulnerable to contagion.

Updated

US: vaccine will take 18 months

Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been testifying to the House oversight committee, about the expected timeline on the development of a vaccine, reports my colleague Julian Borger.

“In the next four weeks or so, we will go into a phase one clinical trial to determine if one of the candidates - and there are more than one candidate, there are probably at least 10 or so that our various stages of development. The one that we’ve been talking about is one that involves a platform called Messenger RNA, but it really serves as a prototype for other types of vaccines that are simultaneously being developed, getting it into phase one in a matter of months is the quickest that anyone has ever done literally in the history of vaccinology.”

“However, the process of developing a vaccine is one that is not that quick. So we go into phase one. It will take about three months to determine if it’s safe. That’ll bring us three or four months down the pike and then you go into an important phase, called phase two, to determine if it works. Since this is a vaccine. You don’t want to give it to normal healthy people with the possibility that it will hurt them … So the phase of determining if it works is critical. That will take at least another eight months or so. So when you’ve heard me say, we would not have a vaccine that would even be ready to start to deploy for a year to a year and a half. That is the timeframe. Now, anyone who thinks they’re going to go more quickly than that, I believe, will be cutting corners, that would be detrimental.”

Fauci said therapeutic drugs could become available significantly faster, because the risk calculation is different – they will be tested and eventually used on people who are already ill.

“There are a couple of candidates that are now already in clinical trial. Some of them in China, and some of them right here in the United States, particularly in some of the trials that we’ve done in some of our clinical centers, including the University of Nebraska. It is likely that we will know if they work in the next several months. I’m hoping that we do get a positive signal. If we do that, we may – and I underline may so that it doesn’t get misinterpreted – have therapy that we could use, but that needs to be proven first.”

Updated

US: heads of the CD, and national institutes of health are testifying before House Oversight Committee.

In the US, the heads of the CDC, and national institutes of health are testifying before the House Oversight Committee.

You can watch live here:

My colleague Julian Borger (@julianborger) is tweeting:

Updated

What do experts mean by 'flattening the curve'?

Trudeau announces C$1bn to mitigate economic impact of coronavirus

The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, announced more than C$1bn in spending on Wednesday morning, meant to tackle the looming economic thread of the coronavirus, reports my colleague Leyland Cecco.

His government’s plan includes aid to provinces, funding for medical supplies and an increase in health research. The prime minister also announced plans to make unemployment insurance more accessible for workers who will be forced to self-quarantine.

“I want all premiers and all Canadians to know our government is here for you. We will make sure you get everything you need,” he said.

Flanked by the health minister, Patty Hajdu, and the chief public health officer, Theresa Tam, Trudeau acknowledged that while the virus has spread rapidly in many countries, Canada has been fortunate to have had experienced relatively few cases – but that concern among the public was growing.

“We are pulling out all the stops to make sure Canadians stay safe, healthy and supported,” he said. “Will get through what comes next – together.”

Trudeau also acknowledged how quickly the virus is spreading in the US, but said both countries were doing “many things” to slow the spread.

The prime minister’s announcement comes as health officials in the province of Ontario warn that a Sudbury man who was diagnosed with the coronavirus recently attended a Toronto mining conference with 25,000 attendees, including Trudeau.

Updated

FCO updates travel advice for Italy

The Foreign Office has advised all UK residents in Italy to return home if their travel is not necessary.

The FCO statement in full:

British nationals remain able to depart Italy without restriction. Airports remain open throughout Italy. However, the Italian authorities have advised against travel for tourism purposes throughout Italy, and that tourists already on holiday in Italy should end their travel, unless it is necessary, to return to the place where they live.

Airline schedules are subject to change and some flights are being cancelled. We therefore advise all remaining British tourists in Italy to contact their airline operators to arrange return to the UK as soon as possible.

Updated

UK cases up to 456

The number of coronavirus cases in the UK increases by 83 in 24 hours:

The Department of Health and Social Care has announced that the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in UK stands at 456, up 83 from 373 yesterday.

The department tweeted:

As of 9am 11 March 2020, a total of 27,476 people have been tested: 27,020 negative 456 positive

Updated

Summary

Here’s a summary of the events so far today:

Catch it, bin it, kill it?

Some consternation among people watching the budget that the UK foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, does not appear to be following NHS guidelines to cough and sneeze into a handkerchief.

Instead of sticking to the mantra “catch it, kill it, bin it” Raab was seen coughing repeatedly into his hand.

Updated

UK chancellor makes NHS coronavirus 'promise'

The UK chancellor has promised the NHS “whatever it needs” in terms of funding to tackle the spread of coronavirus in Wednesday’s budget.


PA Media reports:

Rishi Sunak set out plans for the health service in his budget and pledged security and support for those who are sick and unable to work due to the spread of Covid-19.

He said: “Whatever extra resources our NHS needs to cope with coronavirus it will get … Whether it’s millions of pounds or billions of pounds, whatever it needs, whatever it costs, we stand behind our NHS.”

He offered support to any workers who become too ill to work, with new measures including the ability to obtain a sick note by contacting 111 rather than having to visit a GP.

And he said those working in the gig economy or who are self-employed will get quicker and easier access to benefits.

Sunak said he was setting aside a £5bn emergency response fund to support the NHS and other public services, adding that he “will go further if necessary”.

His pledge comes after the government said there were no plans to test any ministers, including Boris Johnson, for Covid-19 after the health minister Nadine Dorries announced she had the virus.

PHE said it had assessed the risk of Dorries’ individual close contacts and only those with symptoms need to self-isolate. For each Covid-19 case, a risk assessment is carried out and advice tailored to that group, said a spokeswoman.

Updated

Brexit talks may be delayed

Here is the full story on a possible delay to Brexit talks from my colleague Lisa O’Carroll.

Updated

Office for National Statistics HQ confirms case

A staff member at the headquarters of the Office for National Statistics in Newport, Wales, has tested positive for the virus.

The national statistician, Ian Diamond, told staff that a member of the agency’s people and services directorate is being treated for Covid-19, following the positive test.

In a letter to staff, Diamond said the agency’s three sites would remain open, but he urged them to hold more virtual meetings, and cut down on travelling between sites. “We are monitoring the situation very closely,” he said.

In a statement, the ONS added:

“There has been one confirmed case of the Covid-19 virus at the ONS site in Newport and we are taking appropriate steps to protect the wellbeing of all our people. The Newport site remains open although we will continue to monitor our operations in line with official public health and government guidance.”

Updated

The number of Iranians contracting coronavirus and dying from the disease hit a new daily record, the ministry of health revealed on Wednesday. It announced that 956 people had caught the disease in the past 24 hours and over the same period 68 deaths had been recorded.

The numbers take the total number of deaths in Iran to 354 and the number of those infected to about 9,000. Some nurses on social media said the peak may not be around April or May, but government officials say they hope the worst to have passed by the end of next week. President Hassan Rouhani has again appealed for Iranians to restrict their travel. Friday prayers have been cancelled for the third week in a row.

Calls have been growing for Rouhani to personally take charge of a crisis by forming a committee that meets every day to manage the nationwide fight against a coronavirus epidemic that has gripped several provinces.

In a statement addressed to Rouhani on Tuesday, a group of non-governmental organisations outlined a set of emergency measures the government could take to promote its efforts to rein in coronavirus.

They highlighted the need for Rouhani, as the country’s chief executive, to take over the crisis committee’s leadership from the health ministry to pave the way for better coordination among the country’s executive institutions. The emphasis should shift to prevention.

Parliament’s outgoing Speaker, Ali Larijani, had written to Rouhani, demanding a change in the committee’s leadership.

The letter had been penned following an hours-long meeting of lawmakers and the health minister, Saeed Namaki. Rouhani at cabinet hit back on Wednesday, saying the whole of government was mobilised to fight the disease. He denied the health ministry was over-burdened or did not have the authority to act. He also rejected proposals to cancel the Iranian new year holidays.

The judicial authorities have also warned they will take legal action against those on social media who report unofficial statistics on the extent of coronavirus in the country, warning the release of such statistics undermines social cohesion and causes anxiety. Local health authorities have been announcing higher local numbers that do not match the official statistics, but it is not clear if there is a systematic cover-up, as opposed to different ways of measuring the same events.

Updated

Three security officers at the San Jose airport in California, on the US west coast, have tested positive for the virus, the Transportation Security Administration has announced.

In a statement it said:

“TSA confirms that three Transportation Security Officers who work at Mineta San Jose International airport have tested positive for the Covid-19 virus. The officers are receiving medical care and all TSA employees they have come in contact with over the past 14 days are quarantined at home. Screening checkpoints remain open and the agency is working with the CDC, as well as the California department of public health and the Santa Clara county public health department to monitor the situation as well as the health and safety of our employees and the traveling public. We will update as more information becomes available.”

Updated

One of the unions which represents staff in the UK’s parliament is demanding urgent clarification on how the authorities will keep workers safe after the MP Nadine Dorries and one of her members of staff tested positive.

Garry Graham, Prospect’s deputy general secretary, said:

“As the union for house staff we are seeking urgent clarification from the Leader of the house what action he is taking to protect workers following news that a minister and a member of her team have contracted coronavirus.

“While we understand the reluctance to shut the house at this stage, we think measures short of a full closure may be appropriate at this time. In particular we ask that the option of closing the Houses of Parliament to visitors be considered.

“Dedicated house staff will do all they can to ensure the machinery of democracy continues to function but they need to hear that reasonable steps are being taken to protect their wellbeing.”

Updated

Dorries staffer tests positive

A member of Nadine Dorries’ staff has tested positive for coronavirus, a party source has confirmed.

Amid growing anxiety in parliament over the spread of the disease, sources said the staff member was tested after the MP discovered she had the disease.

Dorries, who began feeling ill on Friday, wrote to fellow MPs saying that one of her staff has contracted the illness and she was in self-isolation for the next fortnight.

Dorries’ symptoms began on 6 March – the 14-day incubation period means she could have been first exposed to coronavirus on 21 February. She met hundreds of people at meetings in Westminster and in her constituency before she felt poorly.

Her parliamentary office in the Norman Shaw North building close to Whitehall and her ministerial office in the Palace of Westminster are both sealed off – as are some corridors leading to them – after the MP and a member of staff fell ill with the virus that has killed six people so far in Britain and 4,300 globally.

Updated

Last Friday, Nadine Dorries visited a private members’ club in the Bedfordshire town of Flitwick. The club is being cleaned and the room where she held a meeting was sealed off.

Steve Scott, the president of the Flitwick Club, said Dorries spent about an hour and a half at the club.

Scott said the club took advice from NHS 111 after hearing about Dorries’ condition. It is cleaning all surfaces and keeping the room where he said Dorries met about 10 people closed off.

Scott said the club had looked at CCTV footage of Dorries’ time at the club to work out where it needed to focus its clean-up. He added: “It’s a worry but she didn’t shake anyone’s hand as far as we could see. It’s all a bit bizarre really.”

Updated

Spain has confirmed 2,002 cases and 47 deaths. Half the infected are in the Madrid region, where 31 people have died.

Updated

Chinese webizens are turning to ever more inventive methods to evade online censorship and spread the first-hand account of a Wuhan physician on the frontline of tackling Covid-19, writing it backwards, translating it into English, and even producing a Braille version.

The article, which was published on WeChat by People Magazine on 10 March, was “immediately deleted across the entire network”, according to a report from Radio Free Asia. But the deletions only began a game of cat and mouse with the censors, as users firstly began using classic methods, like sharing screenshots of the contents, and then moved on to more inventive ways of obfuscating the text, including translations into Braille, Morse Code, English and Emoji. Here’s a sample sentence: ❤芬曾🌶🗾‍🥘1⃣份🧣💗肺👁病👤‍💦病☠检测‍🐆🗻，她用红色👊出“SARS冠☄病☠”字🐑，当‍).

Other approaches included rewriting the entire text backwards, or writing it in “Martian”, by replacing every character with visually similar alternatives – so that the passage “艾芬曾拿到过一份不明肺炎病人的病毒检测报告” becomes the nonsense text “哎棼缯拿箌过┅份钚明肺燚病亡啲病蝳检测报告”. Eventually, RFA reports, even those articles were deleted.

The UK heath minister, Nadine Dorries, has complained about being hounded in her home by the Daily Mail as she tries to recover from coronavirus.

A businessman from Kent says he and his son have been waiting nine days for a coronavirus test after getting a cough following a trip to northern Italy.

Phillip Meyer, 48, said he was told by the 111 service on 2 March that he and his 12-year-old son needed to be tested.

A clinician told him someone would contact them to arrange a test at his home in Westerham, near Sevenoaks, or at drive-in centre at a local hospital. But he has heard nothing since, despite daily calls to the 111 service to check on the progress.

Speaking to the Guardian, Meyer, a director of an online retail company, said: “In eight days absolutely nothing has happened. We’ve either slipped through the cracks, or the government is really not doing a very good job of testing people. And I fear it’s the latter.”

He added: “We are testing between 1,000 and 2,000 people a day in the UK, so clearly there is a bottleneck. If in South Korea they test 15,000 a day, why can’t we do that here?”

Meyer and his wife and two sons went on a half-term family skiing trip to South Tyrol on the border between Italy and Austria. A few days after returning he and his oldest son developed a cough. When his son was sent home from school, the family began to self-isolate, and called 111 for advice about testing.

“We were told that someone would call us back to organise a test. But we’ve since been waiting, waiting, and waiting. I’ve called 111 every day but there’s been no more information. They can see on the system that we had been referred and were waiting to be called by a hospital for testing.”

When Meyer suggested turning up at Maidstone hospital for a drive-in test, he was advised against this. “I was told ‘If you do that we’ll take you out of the queue of people to be tested, and you’ll lose your current place. And there’s no guarantee you’ll be tested at the hospital’.”

He added: “My main concern is that I don’t want to spread this to other people. People at my son’s school are understandably anxious to know whether we have been tested, and we can’t tell them anything. It’s awful. So our whole family are just self isolating.

“If I’m getting this, there must be thousands of people who are in the same situation. I’m lucky to be able to do the job I do from home. It feels like we’ve done everything that we should have done to try and protect people. And the government isn’t doing anything really to help. The only way you can contain this is by testing people, and then isolate them, but it’s way too late for me.”

Updated

Angela Merkel has said 60-70% of Germany’s population will be infected with Covid-19, unless measures can be found to slow down the spread and develop vaccines in the time won.

“When the virus is out there, the population has no immunity and no therapy exists, then 60% to 70% of the population will be infected,” the German chancellor told a news conference in Berlin on Wednesday morning.

Merkel said the main focus of her government’s measures were to avoid overwhelming health services, and advised other European countries to set similar priorities.

She said:

“This is not about shutting ourselves off. This is about finding a mode of living where no health system in Europe is overwhelmed.

“We know that we are dealing with a pandemic virus that will infect 60-70% of people”, said Lothar Wieler, head of Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany’s federal agency for disease prevention, at the same press conference.

“We don’t know with what speed this will happen”, Wielder added, saying the epidemic could take months or possibly years.

By Tuesday afternoon, the RKI had recorded 1,296 cases of infections with the novel corona virus in Germany. Media reported on Wednesday that a third person had died as a result of the virus.

In Germany’s federalised political system, the national government is only able to issue recommendations to the individual state governments on the cancellation of larger events, such as football matches or concerts.

Overnight, there had been growing irritation with the city senate of Berlin’s seeming hesitancy to ban spectators from this Saturday’s Bundesliga football match between Union Berlin and Bayern Munich. “Federalism isn’t there so you can shirk responsibility”, Merkel said.

On Wednesday morning, it emerged that the match would take place behind closed doors, and that Berlin is taking steps to ban events with more than 1,000 visitors.

“We have to give up on parts of our everyday routines in order to protect others”, said the German health minister, Jens Spahn, adding that relatively high recovery rates among young people meant there was even greater pressure on them to protect older members of society.

Updated

E3, the world’s largest video game convention, has reportedly been cancelled almost three months ahead of the conference’s first day. According to Bloomberg News, the official announcement is expected at 4.30pm today, but publishers have already been hinting at the news.

America’s Entertainment Software Association has yet to make an official announcement about the cancellation of the event, which typically takes place in Los Angeles every summer, but it is likely that Covid-19 fears are only a part of the decision.

Even in 2019, the conference was showing signs of faltering, with major publishers including Sony and EA pulling out of the event, and others such as Nintendo focusing promotional efforts on direct-to-consumer livestreams. This year’s event had further suffered the resignation of Geoff Keighley, a gaming celebrity who announced in February that he would not be participating.

Updated

Tim Porter, the owner of a London-based tech business called Kare, emails to express his concern about the lack of testing for people in the UK who haven’t come into contact with a confirmed case.

He writes:

As a business owner we have two employees that have shown symptoms, who were not offered a test because of the criteria. I took the decision for the entire company to work from home. However, we must be the tip of the iceberg.

This is really not a drill, we need to get more social distancing measures in place fast to get on top of it and flatten that curve. The UK government needs to act faster.

Updated

Turkey has announced its first confirmed case of Covid-19, ending weeks of speculation over whether the tourism and travel hub will be able to avoid the fast-spreading virus.

The patient is a Turkish national who had recently returned from Europe, the health minister, Fahrettin Koca, said early on Wednesday, and the man, his family and others who had come into contact with him are in quarantine. Koca did not provide further details, citing the patient’s right to privacy.

Hospitals in Istanbul and the capital, Ankara, have been set up to test and quarantine patients suspected of having the virus. Turkish citizens should avoid travelling abroad if possible, Koca added.

Turkey, a tourist hub linking Europe and western Asia, had about 50 million visitors last year. It is also host to 63.5% of all refugees in the world, including 3.5 million Syrians.

Turkey took preemptive measures to halt the spread of the coronavirus, including shutting its border with Iran, one of the worst affected countries, and cancelling flights to several destinations with high rates of infection.

A festival in Edirne, near the Greek border, was cancelled on Tuesday. Several thousand refugees and migrants have gathered in the area since Turkey said it would no longer impede their passage to Europe.

The Red Cross, Red Crescent and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have raised the alarm over possibly catastrophic effects if Covid-19 reaches vulnerable refugee and undocumented populations in the Middle East.

Updated

Brexit trade talks may be delayed

Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, has said that the next round of trade talks between the UK and the European Union, which were due to start next week, might have to be cancelled because of coronavirus.

There’s more on our politics live blog.

Updated

The UK health secretary, Matt Hancock, is due to give a statement to MPs on coronavirus at 7pm.

Updated

Belgium has reported its first coronavirus-related death, prompting the government to urge people to stay at home if they feel sick.

Hervé Deladrière, the medical director for a group of hospitals in a south Brussels, said: “The [90-year-old] woman was admitted to Molière Longchamp hospital in Brussels on Monday. She had serious lung problems.”

Steven Van Gucht, a virologist at Belgium’s scientific institute for public health, said: “It was an elderly lady with underlying disease. We need to show solidarity with the weak and protect them. How? By showing responsibility. Whoever is sick stays at home. Don’t shake hands, don’t kiss, keep your distance and do telework. Don’t go to mass meetings.”

Updated

The coronavirus death toll in Iran has jumped to 354, out of a total of 9,000 cases.

That represents a mortality rate of nearly 4%. As the mortality rate for the virus is thought to be between 1% to 2%, there are likely to be more unknown cases in Iran.

There are no plans to test any UK ministers, including Boris Johnson, for coronavirus after the health minister Nadine Dorries became the first MP to be diagnosed with Covid-19, PA Media reports.

The Department of Health and Social Care said ministers would not need to undergo testing as Public Health England worked to advise those who have been in close contact with Dorries.

PHE said it had assessed the risk of Dorries’ individual close contacts and only those with symptoms needed to self-isolate. For each Covid-19 case, a risk assessment is carried out and advice tailored to that group, a spokeswoman said.

Updated

Polish schools set to close to contain coronavirus

Interesting to see how different governments are dealing with the threat of coronavirus. Reuters are reporting that all Polish schools will close starting on Monday to curtail the spread of the coronavirus.

Poland’s prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, added that universities, museums and cinemas will also be closed. Poland has confirmed 26 cases of the coronavirus. No one has died.

Greece announced it plans to close schools last week, causing headaches for parents. One British Guardian reader living in Greece has written to us:

A bit of a nightmare for us working parents. What do we do with our kids to keep them safe and occupied/entertained?

It looks like a very rapid response (we have 89 cases only) and it remains to be seen if it’s a smart move to avoid an Italian-style meltdown or just a sign of how the disruption of daily life gets much less scrutiny in this country?

Updated

Eighth British citizen dies from coronavirus

A 53-year-old British woman has become the eighth British person to die having contracted coronavirus.

The woman died in Bali, according to Indonesia’s health ministry. It the first death linked to Covid-19 in the country. An Indonesian government spokesman said the patient was already “critically ill” when she was diagnosed with the disease.

An FCO spokesperson said:

We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Indonesia and are in contact with local authorities. Our sympathies and thoughts are with her family at this difficult time.

A man who had been in a passenger on the Diamond Princess cruise ship became the first UK victim of the virus when he died in Japan. Since then six people have died in the UK.

Updated

Spain hit by cancellations

My colleague Stephen Burgen in Barcelona reports that the festival of las Fallas in Valencia has become the latest victim of coronavirus in Spain after the regional government suspended the city’s biggest event indefinitely.

For the festival, nominally held in honour of St Joseph, more than 700 neighbourhood associations spend months creating huge effigies of famous or historical figures. These are later burnt at the end of the five-day event.

Las Fallas, which were due to begin this Sunday, attract tens of thousands of visitors from Spain and abroad and it’s estimated that it’s worth around €700m to the city as it accounts for around 15% of visitors over the year. The festival of Magdalena in nearby Castellón has also been cancelled.

The news follows the cancellation of the annual World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, whose delegates were expected to spend around €500m during their four-day visit.

The list of cancellations continues to grow. The Málaga film festival, which attracts about 150,000 people to the southern city, has been called off. Málaga is the focus of coronavirus cases in Andalucía.

Meanwhile, numerous theatrical events have been cancelled and several rock bands are rescheduling their tours. However, the big question mark is Easter itself, which is celebrated with huge public events, especially in Sevilla, which no one as yet has dared to cancel.

And although tonight’s Champions League match between Liverpool and Atlético de Madrid will be played as normal, the Spanish club has advised supporters not to travel to the game.

The government has promised a series of measures such as extending credit to small businesses, a temporary moratorium on some taxes and a shorter working week and financial compensation for those with childcare responsibilities.

The Spanish hoteliers’ association has asked the government to help the sector, which faces a possibly disastrous Easter. Already, hotel reservations in Andalucía are down 20% over the Easter period and the tourism industry overall has yet to recover from the collapse of Thomas Cook last year.

Updated

Bank of England press conference

My colleague Graeme Wearden has liveblogged the Bank of England press conference, where officials are explaining why it cut UK interest rates today. Catch all of the updates here:

A second UK MP enters self-isolation

The York MP Rachael Maskell has confirmed that she has been advised to self-isolate after having a meeting with Nadine Dorries last Thursday – she says that she is asymptomatic.

Updated

Questions asked about current advice given by NHS 111

We’ve had several readers contacting us today, asking why NHS 111 is not offering coronavirus testing for people who have not had close contact with a previously confirmed case or been to an affected country.

Sam Freedman, the CEO of the The Education Partnerships Group, tweeted:

A colleague has also sent this insight from an anonymous person who works in the palace of Westminster. They write:

I work in parliament and developed the same symptoms as Nadine Dorries MP on the same day. I’ve had a dry cough, chest pain and fever for four days.

NHS 111 services triaged me away from Coronovirus on Friday. I could not be tested because I hadn’t been in close contact to a previously confirmed case.

The official 111 advice for me this morning – after calling again to check after hearing about Nadine Dorries MP – is to go to work with a cough, wash my hands, and assume that I don’t have it. (I am actually going to ignore that advice and work from home.)

I am worried that only testing people who have been ‘contact traced’ is missing a lot of people in the community, and that people like me may have coronavirus and are being advised to go to work anyway. Is this because the government simply can’t do the number of tests needed?

The NHS 111 coronavirus tool is currently advising that unless you have had direct contact with a confirmed case of coronavirus or have recently travelled from an affected area, you do not need to call NHS 111.

Updated

First death from Covid-19 recorded in Belgium

This report from Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (in french) states that Belgium has recorded its first death as a result of Covid-19. A 90-year old man from Brussels has died. Thanks to reader Tara Connolly for bringing this to our attention.

France steps up preparations to deal with coronavirus

The French government is preparing for an acceleration of the Covid-19 epidemic and experts are predicting Stage 3 will be introduced in the coming days, Kim Willsher writes from Paris.

This comes as the country prepares for municipal elections the first round of which will be held this Sunday (the second round takes places the following Sunday). Voters are being urged to turn out to the polling stations with officials saying it will be no more dangerous than “a trip to the supermarket”.

Jérôme Saloman, the director of the national health agency, announced at his daily news briefing on Tuesday evening that there are now 1,784 confirmed cases, 84 of who are in intensive care, and 33 deaths. All of those who have died are adults and 23 of them were aged over 75 years. Around 80-85% of the infections “remain benign”, Salomon said. However, he added there “remain numerous scientific uncertainties” about the virus unlike the Spanish Flu of a century ago. He has called on an army of “reservists” to come forward to help those working in the health services, including medical students who have yet to qualify. All doctors and nurses have been asked by their respecting professional organisations to be ready to join the “reservists” to help to control and treat the virus, including those who have retired.

“This is an exceptional crisis…we are prepared,” French president Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday. The Elysée has tightened measures around the president after his chief of staff was thought to have contracted the virus.Patrick Strzoda is awaiting tests and is staying at home “as a precaution”.

The Cannes Film Festival organisers said they remained “reasonably optimistic” the event could go ahead between 12-23 May. However the festival president Pierre Lescure did not rule out the possibility it would be cancelled if the health crisis worsened as expected.

UK cruise ship passengers will self-isolate after flying home

More than 130 UK passengers from the quarantined cruise ship Grand Princess are on a flight back to Britain, the Foreign Office has said.

Andrew Whittaker, HM Consul General to San Francisco, tweeted: “Long but rewarding day. British nationals are en route back to after successfully disembarking the #GrandPrincess - huge thanks to my team on the ground & our partners for a smooth operation.”

Travel has been arranged from Birmingham airport to their homes and they will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

The plane left California at 6.15am UK time and is due to land early on Wednesday evening.

The Grand Princess - carrying about 3,500 passengers and crew - was allowed to dock in Oakland on Monday after being stranded off the coast for days.

At least 21 people on board had tested positive for COVID-19, the illness cause by the coronavirus.

Senior UK government ministers could be tested for coronavirus

Senior UK government ministers could be tested for coronavirus after health minister Nadine Dorries became the first MP to be diagnosed with the illness.

Number 10 did not comment on whether the Prime Minister had undergone testing for the coronavirus, or whether he will now be tested.

The full story from my colleague Peter Walker is here:

Updated

Good morning, it’s Alexandra Topping here taking over from my colleague Naaman Zhou, to keep you updated on all coronavirus related news for the day.

If you have any questions or contributions you can email me on alexandra.topping@theguardian.com or on twitter I’m @lexytopping.

Updated

Summary so far

  • States of emergency have been declared in Michigan and Massachusetts, as the number of Covid-19 cases in the US passed 1000.
  • The Bank of England cut its base rate by 0.5% in a move to stimulate the economy in response to the virus outbreak.
  • China has reported only 24 new cases and 22 new deaths nationally, including a record low of new cases in Wuhan (13). Lockdowns have been partially lifted in the Hubei province, and key industries will be allowed to resume in Wuhan.
  • Australia announced a ban on people arriving from Italy.
  • Three Formula One team members in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix have been told to self-isolate as they await test results for Covid-19.
  • South Korea reported 242 new cases of Covid-19.
  • A Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester City has been postponed after an unspecified number of Arsenal players were told to go into self-isolation.
  • Italy recorded its highest one day death toll since the outbreak began, with 168 deaths recorded in 24 hours.

Heathrow passenger numbers fall

Heathrow said the number of passengers travelling through the airport fell by 4.8% year-on-year in February due to the impact of coronavirus, the Press Association reports.

The figure is adjusted to take account of the extra day last month as 2020 is a leap year.

The airport’s chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: “The threat of coronavirus is an increasing challenge for the UK and we are working day and night to ensure Britain’s front door is open and safe for our people and passengers.

“We will continue to work with the government to limit the impacts this will have on UK plc.”

A bit more from the Bank of England, on the rate cut:

In a statement the bank said its role is to help UK businesses and households manage through an economic shock from coronavirus “that could prove sharp and large, but should be temporary”.

“These measures will help to keep firms in business and people in jobs and help prevent a temporary disruption from causing longer-lasting economic harm. “

The bank said that following the spread of Covid-19, “risky asset and commodity prices have fallen sharply and government bond yields reached all-time lows consistent with a marked deterioration in risk appetite and in the outlooks for global and UK growth.

“Indicators of financial market uncertainty have reached extreme levels.”

It went on:

Although the magnitude of the economic shock from Covid-19 is highly uncertain, activity is likely to weaken materially in the United Kingdom over the coming months.

Temporary, but significant, disruptions to supply chains and weaker activity could challenge cash flows and increase demand for short-term credit from households and for working capital from companies.

Such issues are likely to be most acute for smaller businesses. This economic shock will affect both demand and supply in the economy.”

Updated

And here is our story on the emergency cut. The monetary policy committee voted unanimously to slash the interest rate from 0.75% to 0.25%, in a meeting on Monday.

Bank of England cuts base rate

The Bank of England has cut its base rate by 0.5%, or 50 basis points, in an emergency move to combat the economic impact of the coronavirus.

Other events on the Formula One calendar have already been postponed or run behind closed doors. On Sunday, the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix, the next on the race calendar announced it would run without spectators present. April’s Chinese Grand Prix has also been postponed.

Updated

South Australia has two new confirmed cases of Covid-19, according to SA Health chief medical officer Nicola Spurrier.

AAP report that they were two men who recently travelled overseas. Spurreir said the men, one aged in his 60s and the other aged in his 70s, presented to a virus testing centre last Tuesday with the positive results confirmed on Monday.

It is believed one man had travelled to Italy and Austria and the other to Southeast Asia.

Three Formula One team members in Melbourne placed in isolation

Three Formula One team members at the Australian Grand Prix have been placed into isolation after concerns they may have contracted the coronavirus.

One member from McLaren and two from the Haas teams were evaluated at the circuit’s isolation unit, established by F1, after showing fever symptoms at the track.

The team members have been tested for the virus and placed under self isolation at their hotels. There will be major concern if their tests are positive, as they have already been mixing in the paddock with others.

On Monday, Andrew Westacott, CEO of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, said the race will proceed as planned and there was “not a chance” the Grand Prix would be cancelled or postponed.

Updated

Indonesia confirms first death from Covid-19

As reported by Reuters, a 53-year-old woman has died from coronavirus in Indonesia, becoming the country’s first recorded death from the virus, a health ministry official said on Wednesday.

The woman, a foreign national, had already been in critical condition when she was admitted to a hospital, said Achmad Yurianto, the health ministry official.

Yurianto did not say where the woman was from or in what hospital or city she had died, but said her home country’s embassy was aware of her death and would arrange to have her body repatriated.

Indonesia has 26 other confirmed coronavirus patients.

In New Zealand, there now have been four straight days without a new case of Covid-19, and prime minister Jacinda Ardern has rejected the need for an economic stimulus.

From AAP:

Five Kiwis, with links to Iran or Italy, have contracted the disease, with a further two New Zealand nationals with family ties to those cases listed as ‘probable’ cases.

All are in self-isolation and do not require hospitalisation. Arden said it would be“ more likely we can keep containment.”

Ardern said New Zealand would invest in “ongoing public health campaigns” but was well-stocked in relevant supplies.

“We have 9 million surgical masks,” she said. “We have the capacity within our intensive care units and our tertiary health care.

“When we see wider community transmission ... that’s when we start moving into the phase where you (ban) mass gatherings. That’s not where New Zealand is presently.”

And as the UK wakes up, here are some of today’s front pages on the news that health minister Nadine Dorries tested positive for Covid-19.

And we’ve just published our wrap of the coronavirus latest, around the world, starting with the news out of the US.

Here’s Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer announcing the state’s first two cases of coronavirus, and declaring a state of emergency.

Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer announces the state’s first two cases of coronavirus, Tuesday, March 10.
Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer announces the state’s first two cases of coronavirus, Tuesday, March 10. Photograph: David Eggert/AP

Two Australian university campuses, which were closed today after a staff member tested positive for Covid-19, will re-open.

Southern Cross University’s Lismore campus and Gold Coast campus were closed today, but will re-open AAP report.

Vice-chancellor Adam Shoemaker says 45 people are believed to have come into contact or proximity with the man during his time in Australia.

“In conjunction with health authorities, the university has commenced contacting each individual,” Professor Shoemaker said in a statement on Wednesday.

Key industries in Wuhan will resume, the provincial government of Hubei province has said, according to Reuters.

A statement from the government said industries like public transport, medical supply and producers of daily necessities will be allowed to return to work.

Other industries that impact national or global supply chains can also return to work with permission from relevant authorities, the notice said.

Here’s a video of Australia’s chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, explaining some misconceptions over Covid-19.

Updated

Google has told all its staff in North America to work from home, in an internal memo seen by Bloomberg News.

Earlier this month, the tech giant had already told workers in Seattle to work from home, as well as Dublin in Ireland.

But now, all staff across the continent will be “recommended” not to go into the office unless necessary until at least April 10.

Uber to give drivers "financial assistance" if sick

Global rideshare company Uber has just sent an email to users, saying that it will give any of its drivers who contract Covid-19, or who are forced to self-isolate “financial assistance”.

Uber – like other companies in the gig economy – insists that its drivers are independent contractors, not employees, which in many jurisdictions means they are not entitled to sick leave, hourly minimum wages, and other entitlements.

However, in many jurisdictions, the provision of sick leave can be a key indicator of whether a person is an employee or a contractor, and could force their workers to be reclassified.

Regardless, the email from CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says that “Any driver or delivery person who is diagnosed with COVID-19 or is individually asked to self-isolate by a public health authority will receive financial assistance for up to 14 days while their account is on hold.”

The email also says that Uber may “temporarily suspend the accounts of riders or drivers confirmed to have contracted or been exposed to COVID-19”.

“We understand that you may be relying more on food delivery right now. If you prefer, you can leave a note in the Uber Eats app to ask your delivery person to leave your food at the door.”

Australian stock market closes 3% down

The Australian market looks to be closing in on a fall of about 3% for the day amid scepticism about Donald Trump’s ability to rescue the US economy and renewed warnings Australia is likely to fall into a recession this year.

Movement tomorrow will depend on what the US market does overnight and market reaction to a stimulus package expected from the Australian government.

Meanwhile, the corporate regulator has postponed its annual shindig, which was to be held in Sydney in a fortnight.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission said it made the decision to postpone the forum due to “the uncertain availability of international and interstate speakers and delegates and the evolving situation surrounding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”.

In Greece, the confirmation of one case of Covid-19 on the island of Lesbos has sparked concerns among aid workers. Roughly 20,000 asylum seekers live near the Moria refugee camp, with little access to medical care.

Correspondents Katy Fallon and Harriet Grant reported from the camp:

The Moria Camp in Lesbos, Greece on March 5, 2020.
The Moria Camp in Lesbos, Greece on March 5, 2020. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The outbreak of Covid-19 means Japan will scale down major commemorations of the March 2011 disasters – when an earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster hit Fukushima.

Correspondent Justin McCurry has more:

Updated

Hong Kong’s flaghip airline, Cathay Pacific, has reported a huge drop in profits for 2019 as a result of political unrest, and predicted a loss for the first half of 2020.

A passenger wearing a face mask walks past Cathay Pacific aircraft parked at Kansai International Airport on March 10, 2020 in Osaka, Japan.
A passenger wearing a face mask walks past Cathay Pacific aircraft parked at Kansai International Airport on March 10, 2020 in Osaka, Japan. Photograph: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images

From Agence France-Presse:

On Wednesday the airline reported an attributable profit of HK$1.7 billion (US$220 million) for 2019, a significant drop from the HK$2.3 billion it made in 2018.

And it warned of slipping into the red as airlines around the world suffer the huge travel disruptions caused by the rapid global spread of the deadly coronavirus. “We expect to incur a substantial loss for the first half of 2020,” chairman Patrick Healy said.

“The outbreak of COVID-19 since January 2020 has resulted in a challenging operational environment, and will adversely impact the group’s financial performance and liquidity position,” the airline said in a statement.

The last time the airline made a loss was in the first half of 2018. It then embarked on a major overhaul that brought the carrier back into the black but Cathay has found itself hammered by events beyond its control.

Updated

Panama has confirmed its first death from Covid-19, according to the health ministry via Reuters.

There are also seven new cases of individuals testing positive for the virus in the Central American nation.

Australia’s Reserve Bank has said it is too early to predict whether Australia’s economy will shrink in the June quarter, but that low interest rates could help cushion the blow of the global outbreak.

From AAP:

Deputy Governor Guy Debelle on Wednesday said a record low interest rate would support a post-virus recovery in spending even if Aussie households were reluctant to part with their cash as the virus spreads.

“They may not spend it straight away, but it brings forward the day when they will be comfortable with their balance sheets and resume a normal pattern of spending,” Debelle told the Australian Financial Review Business Summit in Sydney.

The bank cut the cash rate to a record low 0.5 per cent on March 3 to help buttress the economy against the impact of the coronavirus outbreak and is widely expected to make it back-to-back cuts next month. That would take the interest rate to a new record low 0.25 per cent and pave the way for alternative policy measures such as quantitative easing.

Debelle reiterated that the central bank expected the virus will deliver a 0.5 per cent hit to GDP via the education and tourism sectors alone in the three months to March, but the rapidly evolving nature of the outbreak meant a mid-term outlook was hard to quantify.

“Clearly we are still only in the early weeks of March, so the picture can change from here,” he said. “It is just too uncertain to assess the impact of the virus beyond the March quarter.”

“(Other nations) too are beginning to suffer significant disruptions, the extent and duration of which is unknown at this time ... The conclusion is that the global economy will be materially weaker in the first quarter of 2020 and in the period ahead.”

Back in Australia, the Northern Territory government has finalised its plan to manage a potential outbreak of Covid-19 in remote Indigenous communities.

A combination of overcrowded housing, poor infrastructure, distance from hospitals and a large percentage of the population with relevant co-morbidities places residents of remote communities “at risk for severe disease from Covid-19”.

More on this from Guardian Australia’s Indigenous affairs editor, Lorena Allam:

The NT government is considering using non-residential community buildings for isolation purposes, including NT government buildings, and planning the delivery of food, prescribed medications and essentials such as disposable nappies to anyone placed in isolation.

There would be “monitoring of the household situation, initially through social contact via telephone – this may be a nonclinical person telephoning daily to ask questions according to a protocol regarding material needs, emotional status and any worsening of symptoms”.

You can read the full story here:

Massachusetts has also declared a state of emergency, after Michigan did the same earlier tonight. State governor Charlie Baker said they were declaring it to “support the commonwealth’s response”. The state has 92 presumptive positive cases, according to CNN.

The state of Western Australia have said they are boosting their capacity for coronavirus testing, opening up eight new collection centres for people to submit samples for testing – only after those referred by their GP.

Health authorities have also increased their mobile collection service, and now have “five vehicles available in Perth to take at-home samples for patients who have a GP referral, but feel too unwell to leave home”. There are also 29 rural collection centres.

Health minister Roger Cook said those who attended the collection centres would have their sample “tested straight away, and their results processed as a priority.”

Stock markets across the Asia-Pacific are struggling again today as investors appeared to be underwhelmed by the sketchy details offered by the Trump administration about a possible stimulus package.

Australia’s ASX200 is the biggest faller, down 2.2%, while Tokyo is down 1% and Seoul has lost 1.2%. In Hong Kong, shares are down slightly but in Shanghai they’re up 0.3%.

Eleanor Creagh, economist at Saxa Capital Markets in Sydney, said it was difficult to predict where the markets would go because the data about the coronavirus outbreak changed every day and there was a lack of clarity about the extent of the US outbreak.

“As coronavirus spreads around the globe, the economic ramifications are only just beginning. The longer it takes, the more aggressive the measures by governments will become and that drags on the economy and risks a meltdown.

“There are new developments every day but from what we know we are in for a technical recession in Australia. But then there is the knock-on effect on consumers and economic activity. Consumers are becoming more fearful about losing their jobs and that confidence will be hard to restore.”

A Thai investor reacts to falling share prices in January 2020.
A Thai investor reacts to falling share prices in January 2020. Photograph: Rungroj Yongrit/EPA

Updated

A student at the City University of New York has been confirmed to have Covid-19, according to the college.

The student from John Jay College had not returned to campus since developing symptoms, a statement said.

John Jay College will now also be closed on Wednesday.

“Because the student was on campus only Thursday evening for one class last week and did not develop symptoms until Saturday, we have been advised by state health officials that the risk to our community is low,” they said.

Economists at ratings agency S&P have become the latest to predict Australia will fall into a recession this year because of the coronavirus outbreak, which they say will hit the country harder than the global financial crisis.

The agency said Australia’s AAA credit rating was “not under immediate threat from the now likely technical recession and the fiscal cost of the government’s imminent stimulus package”.

A recession is usually defined as a six month period in which the economy shrinks. “We believe Australia’s economy will move into recession by June 2020, and grow just 1.2% in 2020 before rebounding,” S&P said in a bulletin to clients.

“This is the weakest economic outlook in 20 years and means the Covid-19 outbreak would be a greater economic shock to Australia than the global financial crisis, when growth fell to 1.6% in 2008.”

It said its forecasts didn’t include any impact from a government stimulus package expected tomorrow “because few details are currently available”.

“A substantial stimulus package would support short-term economic outcomes and may help the country to avoid contractions in the June 2020 quarter and a technical recession,” S&P said. “At the same time, fiscal stimulus would also weaken Australia’s general government budget.”

In Australia, the number of cases in New South Wales has risen to 65. Three of the newly diagnosed people are women who returned from Italy together, and one is a man who had contact with a resident of the Dorothy Henderson Lodge – an aged facility where two people have died from the virus.

Australia today announced a travel ban on people passing through Italy.

US reaches 1000 confirmed cases

With those new figures out of Florida and Michigan, the US has now reached more than 1000 confirmed Covid-19 cases.

A total of at least 1,004 people – across 38 states – have been confirmed to have the new coronavirus, according to the New York Times database. Washington state has the most (279), followed by California (178) and New York (173).

Updated

Lockdowns in China partially lifted

As previously reported, China today has reported only 24 new cases of Covid-19, and 22 deaths nationwide, as well as a record low in new infections in Wuhan.

From Agence France-Presse:

New cases in Wuhan fell to a new low, with 13 infections reported on Wednesday, while only one other non-imported case was recorded elsewhere in the country.

Wuhan and its surrounding province, Hubei, have been under lockdown since late January. But with Hubei reporting zero cases outside Wuhan for several days in a row, the province announced Tuesday that it would allow healthy people in low-risk areas to travel within the province.

Updated

State of emergency declared in Michigan

Michigan, who tonight are holding their Democratic primary, have now confirmed their first cases of Covid-19.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer confirmed that two people had tested positive in a press conference and also declared a state of emergency to slow the spread.

Further south, eight new cases have been reported in Florida today, according to the state’s health department. That brings the state to a total of 20 people.

Updated

In further cancellation news, RuPaul’s DragCon in Los Angeles has also been cancelled, as per a statement on the official website.

The annual gathering of fans and stars from reality show RuPaul’s Drag Race was due to start in May.

“DragCon’s first priority is always the health and safety of everyone involved,” organisers said. “Unfortunately, there’s no way for anyone to know what the situation will be like in May.

“Due to that uncertainty, and out of an abundance of caution, we’ve decided that it’s in the best interest of the talent, staff, and attendees to cancel RuPaul’s DragCon LA 2020. DragCon LA will return in 2021, better than ever.”

Hi all, it’s Naaman Zhou here. Thanks to my colleague Calla Wahlquist for her work earlier.

In Australia, the South Australian government has announced a $350 million government stimulus package in response to bushfires, the drought, and the coronavirus.

The stimulus package includes funding for road and hospital maintenance projects and funds four the tourism industry, AAP reports. The projects have to meet criteria including being able to start in a short period of time, be labour-intensive, or require significant local purchasing of materials.

Premier Steven Marshall said:

During these times of significant global uncertainty, we are committed to doing all we can to ensure the state’s economy maintains its forward momentum and that local jobs are not only protected, but can continue to grow into the future.

While we are not immune from the impacts of this global crisis, this package will go some way to assist us minimise the inevitable shocks to come.

Australian prime minister Scott Morrison is expected to announce a national stimulus package on Thursday.

Jamaica’s first coronavirus case imported from the UK

Jamaica’s ministry of health and wellness confirmed on Tuesday the island nation’s first imported case of the coronavirus, in its capital city of Kingston.

From Reuters:

The infected individual is a Jamaican female who had “travelled from the United Kingdom”, the ministry said in a statement.

The individual arrived in the island on March 4, approached the public health system on March 9 and has been in isolation since then, the statement added.

Thanks for joining our live coverage of the coronavirus crisis this morning. I’ll now hand the reins to my colleague, Naaman Zhou.

The cruise ship Grand Princess has docked in San Francisco Bay, Reuters reports:

Hundreds of travellers who boarded a cruise liner for Hawaii last month in sandals and sunglasses trudged off the coronavirus-stricken ship in face masks at the Port of Oakland, California, on Tuesday, headed to quarantine sites around the country.

The tightly controlled disembarkation began on Monday, hours after the cruise ship Grand Princess arrived at a specially secured terminal across San Francisco Bay from its home port amid cheers from weary passengers who had spent days at sea confined to their staterooms.

By midday Tuesday, nearly 700 passengers wearing surgical masks had left the ship in small groups, escorted by personnel dressed in full protective gear to chartered buses.

Addressing a news conference on Tuesday in Sacramento, the state capital, Governor Gavin Newsom said he hoped to finish getting all 2,400 some passengers off the ship within 72 hours.

Plans originally called for the 1,100 crew members, except those requiring immediate medical care, to remain aboard the Grand Princess when it leaves port for a two-week quarantine period at sea.

But Newsom told reporters that some crew members, many from the Philippines, may end up repatriated to their home countries instead.

Among the first people off the ship were 26 US residents taken by ambulance to hospitals around the region, including two passengers diagnosed with coronavirus during on-board testing last week that also found 19 crew members infected, Newsom said.

Princess Cruises, the ship’s owner-operator, said those crew members were deemed asymptomatic and confined to their individual cabins.

Passengers are assisted disembarking the Grand Princess cruise ship at the Port of Oakland
Passengers are assisted disembarking the Grand Princess cruise ship at the Port of Oakland Photograph: John G Mabanglo/EPA

Updated

Arsenal players in self-isolation and postpone game with Man City

Arsenal has placed some of its players into self-isolation and postponed a Premier League game with Manchester City scheduled to be held in the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, the Premier League has said.

Arsenal said an unspecified number of its players met Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakas, who has since been confirmed as having contracted the virus, after their Europa League tie on 27 February. Those players, who have not been named, have been told to go into self isolation for 14 days.

More details here:

South Korea reports 242 new cases of coronavirus

Optimism that the pace of new Covid-19 cases is slowing in South Korea has been tempered by reports on Wednesday of a significant number of new infections and concern over a cluster of cases at a call centre in Seoul.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 242 new cases on Wednesday, up from 131 a day earlier, bringing the total to 7,755. Sixty people have died in the country, the KCDC added.

The pace of daily new inflections had shown signs of slowing after health authorities tested of 210,000 members of a religious sect that has been linked to more than 60% of South Korea’s total recorded infections.

But the government is still on high alert over new clusters of infections, including a call center in Seoul where 90 infections have been confirmed, according to the Yonhap news agency.

The call centre infection is the biggest Covid-19 infection cluster so far in the South Korean capital, which is home to 10 million people and with a wider metropolitan population of 25 million.

Of the 242 new cases reported on Wednesday, 131 were in the city of Daegu — where a branch of the sect is located — and nearby North Gyeongsang province, the KCDC said.

Australian stockmarket down 2.1%

The Australian stockmarket has continued to slide as the reality that Donald Trump may not be able to deliver all that he has promised in his stimulus package crystallises in the minds of traders, who were yesterday only too willing to believe he could deliver.

At about 1pm the benchmark ASX200 index was down more than 2.1%.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions has called for all workers in Australia to be guaranteed two weeks paid special leave in case they are forced to self-isolate as a result of Covid-19, or in the case of a broader business shutdown.

The ACTU passed the resolution unanimously at its meeting in Merimbula on Wednesday.

In a statement, ACTU secretary Sally McManus said:

The most important thing for public health is to ensure everyone knows that if they have to self -isolate that there is not going to be a financial penalty for them and their family. If working people are forced to choose between going to work sick or being able to pay their bills and feed their families then we are creating a disaster scenario for public health.”

McManus said one in three workers in Australia did not have access to paid leave.

China reports 24 new cases, 22 new deaths

China has updated its official figures on the spread of the coronavirus and reported 24 new confirmed cases, 22 new deaths (all in Hubei province) and 31 suspected cases.

That brings the total number of confirmed cases to 80,778 and the number of suspected cases to 285. Thirteen of the new confirmed cases were in Wuhan, in Hubei province, six were in Beijing, two in Shanghai, one in Shandong and one in Gansu. Nineteen of the 22 new deaths occurred in Wuhan, China’s National Health Commission reported.

Even Australia’s chief medical officer professor Brendan Murphy, right, occasionally struggles with the directive not to touch his face.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (left) and Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy speak to the media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Wednesday, March 11, 2020.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (left) and Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy speak to the media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

In case you missed this announcement earlier, the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, has announced details of a $2.4bn health package and warned of “difficult times and days” ahead for Australia’s health system as it deals with a surge in demand linked to the coronavirus outbreak.

Morrison said Australia’s “world class” health system remained well prepared to deal with the crisis.

These are not usual times and usual demands on our health system. And so, I anticipate there will be times when that will come under great stress.

That is not a reason for alarm or concern, because the plan and the resource and the preparedness and the professionalism of our health system will attend to those needs.

The package unveiled by the government on Wednesday includes:

  • $615.4m for primary care measures, including telehealth services and 100 new pop-up clinics,
  • $100m for the aged care sector,
  • $1.1 billion to increase the country’s stockpiles of masks, pharmaceuticals and other personal protective equipment.
  • $30m for a new national information campaign,
  • $30m for workforce training,
  • $30m on the research response to the virus.

About $1.2 billion of the total package will be spent before the end of June. Morrison said that the plan was designed to match demand, and urged the community to “work together” to get through the coming months.
Health minister Greg Hunt also moved to clarify remarks he made on Sunday about the need for testing, saying people without symptoms and those who had not travelled or been in contact with someone affected by the virus did not need to get tested.

He said:

If you’ve been in a high-risk area or if you’ve been in contact and you have symptoms, then that’s appropriate and that’s the time to seek the advice and the testing

Number of coronavirus cases in Australia reaches 112

The Australian health department has updated its daily figures on the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19.

As of 11am on Wednesday, there are 112 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Australia. This figure includes three people who died after being diagnosed with the virus, and 24 people who are reported to have recovered. That’s up from 100 on Tuesday.

The national Australian figures are 60 cases in NSW (NSW figures say 61), 15 in Queensland, six in South Australia, two in Tasmania, 15 in Victoria (Victorian authorities put this figure at 21), four in Western Australia and 10 associated with the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

Eighteen of the people with coronavirus have either recently travelled to Iran or are a contact of someone who has, 15 have a direct or indirect travel link to Wuhan in China.

Some 39 cases have a direct or indirect travel link to the US, The United Arab Emirates, the UK, Italy, Iceland, Singapore, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Nepal, Egypt, Austria, France, Spain, and Hong Kong.

Twenty-seven people who have been diagnosed with the disease, including two people who have died, did not have a reported history of overseas travel. Eight of these cases, including the deaths of two elderly residents, are associated with the Dorothy Henderson Lodge aged care home in northwest Sydney. Two are linked to attendance at a health workshop. Seventeen other people with the disease were close contacts of other known cases.

Coronavirus risk at US investigative journalism conference

The Investigative Reporters and Editors organisation, America’s leading association of investigative reporters, has announced that an attendee to their annual National Institute of Computer Assisted Reporting (Nicar) conference has tested presumptively positive for Covid-19.

The conference, held in New Orleans, attracted hundreds of investigative reporters and journalism students from around the US (including this reporter), and indeed other international journalist. It took place between 4 March and 8 March.

IRE executive director Doug Haddix issued a statement on Tuesday evening confirming that the attendee “has mild symptoms and is expected to make a full recovery” and had taught a “hands-on class” at the conference.

More from the release:

The attendee traveled from within the United States to the conference in New Orleans and was present from Thursday (March 5) until Saturday afternoon (March 7). Based on the onset of the limited symptoms, they could have contracted the virus either before, during or after the conference. Symptoms can appear within two to 14 days of exposure, and in some cases do not appear at all.

The attendee has been reaching out today to people they had close contact with during the conference. In addition, IRE is notifying individuals who participated in a pre-registered hands-on class with the attendee.

IRE is recommending that anyone who attended the conference contact their local healthcare provider to see if they should be tested for the virus.

Louisiana diagnosed its first case of Covid-19 on Monday, with state governor John Bel Edwards confirming two further cases today.

Schools in Hong Kong and Macau may reopen before Easter: reports

In Hong Kong and Macau, authorities are discussing the return of school for some students.

All schools have been shut since the lunar new year on 3 February, and have been ordered to stay shut until at least after Easter, on 20 April. Among the first places to close schools as part of the virus response, Hong Kong and Macau have provided something of a preview of what to expect as other nations do the same.

Macau’s education authorities said this week the outbreak of Covid-19 there had stabilised and it was likely their schools would reopen before the Easter weekend.

In Hong Kong, where 105 people are confirmed to have had the virus and three people have died, teachers unions have proposed the eventual return occur in stages, according to the South China Morning Post.

Although schools are assessing how to order in enough masks by that time, various suggestions have included that secondary students facing exams return first, and that other age groups return each fortnight, with shortened days to minimise contact among students outside of class.

The Trump administration is scrambling to develop contingency plans to allow federal employees to work remotely full time, The Washington Post has reported.

The report says the Office of Personnel Management urged the heads of federal agencies to “immediately review” their telework policies, issue laptops, grant remote access to computer networks, and otherwise get hundreds of thousands of federal government workers ready to work from home in a worst case scenario.

More on that report here.

A headline in Italian newspaper La Repubblica on Tuesday reads “Tutti in casa” — Everyone at home.

A news vendor holds up a copy of La Repubblica Italian Newspaper as Italy clamps down on public events and travel to halt the spread of the coronavirus on March 10, 2020 in Turin, Italy.
A news vendor holds up a copy of La Repubblica Italian Newspaper as Italy clamps down on public events and travel to halt the spread of the coronavirus on March 10, 2020 in Turin, Italy. Photograph: Stefano Guidi/Getty Images

The Italian government on Monday announced the unprecedented measure of putting the entire country in lockdown, telling its 60 million residents to stay at home.

Italy recorded a 36% increase in the number of deaths in the past 24-hours, with 168 deaths recorded. The death toll at Italy is now at 631, with the number of cases up 10.7% to 10,149.

Paraguay closes schools, bans large gatherings over coronavirus

Paraguay’s government has moved to close all educational establishments and has banned meetings of large numbers of people.

The announcement came this evening following the confirmation of a second case of coronavirus in the landlocked South American nation. Just hours after this announcement, this figure was updated to five confirmed cases.

Health minister Julio Mazzoleni said:

We have prepared a resolution that establishes the suspension of public and private gatherings of large numbers of people, such as sporting events and religious and political meetings. Also, activities in closed spaces such as cinemas, theatres and conventions are suspended.

Mazzoleni added that classes in all levels of the country’s education system will be suspended for a period of 15 days. Government officials were adamant that work activities would continue and supermarkets would remain open.

Alongside the five confirmed cases, 18 people have presented symptoms of the illness and are under observation. A further 100 people who have not presented symptoms are being monitored.

Paraguay’s first two cases of coronavirus were diagnosed in people who had contracted the illness in other countries—Argentina and Ecuador—before travelling into Paraguay.

While they have yet to confirm, officials stated that community transmission of the illness is now possibly taking place.

The coronavirus arrives in a country that has been battling with one of its worst ever dengue fever outbreaks over recent months. The mosquito-borne illness has caused at least 34 deaths and infected an estimated 137,000 people, pushing the country’s healthcare system to its limits.

UK health minister Nadine Dorries tests positive to Covid-19

To the United Kingdom now, where the junior health minister, Nadine Dorries, has tested positive to Covid-19.

The diagnosis has prompted concerns about the potential spread of the virus at Westminster. Dorries attended a reception at Downing Street for International Women’s Day last week, where prime minister Boris Johnson and his fiancee Carrie Symonds were in attendance.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, Dorries said:

I can confirm I have tested positive for coronavirus. As soon as I was informed I took all the advised precautions and have been self-isolating at home.

More details here.

Japan reports biggest one-day rise in coronavirus cases since January

From Reuters:

Japan had 59 new cases of coronavirus infection on Tuesday, the biggest one-day rise since the start of the outbreak, public broadcaster NHK said.

Total infections have risen to 1,278 cases, including 696 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship and 14 returnees on charter flights from China, according to NHK data.

One new infection was reported early on Wednesday, in the western prefecture of Hyogo.

Japan has now seen 19 deaths from the virus, including seven from the cruise ship, the public broadcaster said.

Australian Medical Association welcomes health funding for Covid-19

The national president of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Tony Bartone, has welcomed the announcement from the Australian government on Wednesday morning for $2.4bn in additional health funding to manage the coronavirus.

In particular, Dr Bartone says the AMA welcomes the announcement of a new medicare item number for Telehealth which will encourage doctors to manage patients with Covid-19 remotely.

He said it would ensure that well patients felt confident in attending their GP for other health concerns, with patients who suspect they have Covid-19 managed via telehealth or in the 100 specialist respiratory clinics that are being stood up.

Those that are vulnerable can attend, continue to access the care they need over the phone, over the video channel, without having to venture out into the community. But more importantly, those who are relatively well with minor symptoms and infected with COVID-19, do not need to attend the clinic and can be managed at home with simple measures.

He said that would help keep the “spread of the virus in the community down to an absolute minimum”.

We’re still in a containment phase... we’re trying to identify cases, isolate them, contact trace. We’re trying to delay the inevitable uptick in the surge of number of reported case, which will then place a significant burden on the entire health system.

Bartone said it was also important to make sure that the messaging to both doctors and the community on Covid-19 was clear and consistent.

‘No point’ in testing Australians who have not travelled or had contact with a confirmed case: chief medical officer

For Australian readers who are just joining us, the Australian chief medical officer, professor Brendan Murphy, had some strong words for Australians who he says are putting a “burden on the system” by trying to get a test for coronavirus when they are not at risk of the disease.

Murphy, standing alongside prime minister Scott Morrison in Canberra, said:

We have seen over recent days a number of people seeking testing who don’t need it.... There is no point being tested at the moment if you have not travelled or if you’ve not been in contact - even if you have flu-like illnesses. We are not saying to people who get acute respiratory symptoms, a cold or a flu, to go and get tested for COVID-19. We are saying that if you’ve come back from overseas, if you’re a returned traveller or you’ve been in contact with someone who has been a confirmed case, then you should be tested.

But other Australians do not need testing and all they’re doing is putting an unnecessary burden on the testing.

Murphy said they were working to build up testing capacity in Australia to ensure the same-day return of results, and that there was “no value” in testing people who were asymptomatic. That’s because people who are incubating the virus can return a negative result but get the disease later — a false negative, basically.

Murphy again:

We’re not testing people without symptoms at the moment. There is no value in testing people without symptoms. Currently, our approach is testing — and that’s the international approach — is testing people who have respiratory symptoms and who have been a returned traveller or who are a contact.

Australian market falls by 1.3%

The Australian market is continuing to slide, falling by about 1.3% shortly after 11am.

Airline Qantas, which has cut its international capacity by a quarter because of the coronavirus, has again been hammered, plunging more than 9% to make it the biggest loser among the top 200 companies listed on the ASX in trading so far today.

Nickel producer Western Areas is the second-biggest loser, shedding about 7.7%, and fellow miner Newcrest has the third-biggest drop of the morning, off about 6.9%

But pretty much all sectors are down, with only health care in the black so far.

The benchmark ASX200 index fell 0.59% shortly after trade opened on Wednesday morning.

Overnight, Australian time, US markets were up around 5% but the London exchange’s FTSE index recorded a small fall of 0.1%.

Deaths outside China pass 1,000 as the number of cases in Australia pass 100

Good morning and welcome to our continued live coverage of the coronavirus crisis. The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, is expected to make an announcement shortly about the establishment of pop-up fever clinics.

This is how things currently stand.

  • The number of deaths associated with the coronavirus outside of mainland China has passed 1,000. Globally, according to AFP, there have been more than 117,339 cases and 4,251 deaths across 107 countries and territories.
  • Italy has recorded its highest one day death toll since the outbreak began, with 168 deaths recorded in 24-hours. That’s a 36% increase, and brings the death toll in Italy to 631. The total number of cases in Italy increased by 10.7% to 10,149. The country is on lockdown until 3 April.
  • The Dark Mofo festival in Tasmania has been cancelled over coronavirus fears.
  • The Victorian government has stood up its state emergency control centre to manage the coronavirus outbreak. Three new cases — all people who had recently flown in from the United States — were confirmed overnight, bringing the number of cases to 21. Two schools have also been closed after a staff member tested positive. Some 1,039 people were tested at seven screening clinics around the state yesterday, and there have been 14,500 calls to the Victorian coronavirus hotline.
  • Southern Cross University will close its Lismore and Gold Coast campuses after a visiting staff member from the Philippines tested positive for the virus. The number of confirmed cases in NSW has risen to 61, with six more cases reported overnight.
  • A UK government minister has tested positive for the virus. Nadine Dorries, MP for Mid Bedford and a junior health minister, was confirmed to have tested positive on Tuesday evening.
  • A sixth person has died of Covid-19 in the UK and the total number of cases have reached 373. England’s deputy chief medical officer, Dr Jenny Harries, says the UK’s coronavirus epidemic will begin to peak in the next two weeks.

You can get in touch on twitter by following me @callapilla or via email on calla.wahlquist@theguardian.com

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