First Minister Arlene Foster said her visit to Washington DC with deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill was cancelled as they felt it was important to be at home as NI plans for the next stage of the "coronavirus issues".

"We are in the containment phase but we know we'll be moving to the delay phase soon so we felt it was important to be at home," she added

"We must continue to listen to those who advise on the science - our chief medical officer and the scientific advisor in the UK - so appropriate steps may be taken.

"I know some people are concerned that the government is not taking action as quickly as it should be," she said

But she added that government was taking advice from experts.

She said there will be a Cobra meeting on Wednesday.

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The Department of Education and Skills has said that it is liaising closely with the Department of Health, external on a continuing basis.

In a statement it said: "Any decision to close schools will be made on public health advice. There is no such advice at this point.

"It is essential that any decisions regarding responses to Covid-19 are proportionate, necessary and based on specific public health advice. No other response is appropriate.

"Public health professionals will contact schools if there is any action to be taken. Schools should not take unilateral action.

"The department is deeply conscious of the significance of decisions concerning school closures, and the potential impact any such decisions would have on parents, families and the wider community."

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Northern Ireland's biggest cinema chain, Omnixplex, is introducing a 'seat separation' policy in response to coronavirus.

That means every other seat will be left unoccupied in a checkerboard pattern and nobody will sit directly next to anybody else.

Omniplex operates from 15 locations across Northern Ireland.

Paul John Anderson, director, said the move was in line with World Health Organisation guidance.

He added: "This means we've reduced our overall capacity by 50% and it will give cinemagoers peace of mind.’

Mr Anderson said other measures include self-scanning of tickets, increased cleaning regimes and hand sanitising stations in every cinema foyer.

Thousands of flights have been cancelled and many hotels have been placed under lockdown because of the coronavirus outbreak, leading to travel chaos for holidaymakers, businesses and commuters alike.

Do you know what your rights are if your flight is cancelled or you need to rebook?

What about insurance?

Here's our guide on how the outbreak could affect your plans.

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Queen's University Belfast says it remains open and is operating as normal.

Earlier on Tuesday, Trinity College Dublin announced lectures would be delivered online from Wednesday and for the rest of the semester rather than in a lecture hall.

A Queen's spokeswoman said: "This is a rapidly evolving situation which the university is closely monitoring and is putting in place the appropriate contingency measures which will be communicated to staff and students when appropriate."

The organisers of the Belfast City Marathon are working towards keeping the 39th Deep RiverRock marathon open on Sunday 3rd May 2020.

With eight weeks to go, the company is reviewing government information and advice on the coronavirus and will update of any changes or developments.

More than 110 countries have now reported coronavirus cases.

Here are the answers to a selection of readers' questions.

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Jayne McCormack
BBC News NI political reporter

Finance Minister Conor Murphy says he will work to ensure NI gets necessary "associated support" from Westminster to mitigate any economic damage caused by coronavirus.

He met Treasury officials on Tuesday in London, along with his counterparts in Scotland and Wales.

He said that engagement would continue in the coming days.

"I would intend to continue that conversation because as this unfolds, none of us know what the full impact will be," he told assembly members.

Image source, PA Media

Speaking during finance questions in the Assembly, Mr Murphy also said he had met the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Steve Barclay to discuss the upcoming budget.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is scheduled to deliver the Budget tomorrow.

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Here are the headlines from Northern Ireland, the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland:

• Four new cases have been confirmed in Northern Ireland, bringing the total number to 16
• A sixth patient has died in the UK after testing positive for the virus. He was in his early 80s and had underlying health conditions
• 237 tests have been carried out in Northern Ireland, of which 221 have been negative.
• In the Republic of Ireland, 24 people have tested positive
• Ryanair has cancelled all international flights to and from Italy from Saturday until 9 April
• Aer Lingus has cancelled all flights to and from Italy from tomorrow until 3 April
• St Patrick's Day parades in Belfast, Derry, Downpatrick and Newry, and across the Republic of Ireland are cancelled
• First Minister Arlene Foster and deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill announce they have cancelled their visit to the US
• Trinity College Dublin has announced lectures will be delivered online from tomorrow and for the rest of the term

Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill says his team are preparing "as normal" amid ticket confusion over their Euro 2020 play-off in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The host's football association announced it was postponing Wednesday's sale of tickets for the match on 26 March.

As coronavirus continues to spread, some governments have restricted travel while individuals have been taking their own precautions.

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The BBC has put together a guide on the risks.

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The Six Nations has confirmed that Ireland women's and under-20 games against France scheduled for this weekend have also been postponed.

This follows Monday's announcement that the men's game between the countries had been called off because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Wales v Scotland men's and under-20 contests are now the only Six Nations games taking place this weekend.

Richard Morgan
BBC News NI business reporter

Belfast International Airport says a decision by Easyjet, Ryanair and Jet2 to cancel flights to Italy will not affect staffing levels at the hub.

The announcement affects five flights per week at the airport.

A spokesperson told BBC News NI the reductions were “limited in scale” and the airport was dealing with “the extra demand following the closure of Flybe.”

More than 80 flights to a range of destinations continue to operate at the airport on a daily basis.

Ulster are still planning for their Champions Cup quarter-final against Toulouse on 5 April but say their remaining Pro14 games in Italy may not happen.

Italy is at the centre of the European outbreak and the county is in lockdown, with travel restricted and public gatherings forbidden.

Image source, Reuters

John Campbell
BBC News NI economics and business editor

Ulster Bank says it will allow people affected by the coronavirus outbreak to defer mortgage and loan repayments for up to three months.

The wider RBS group, which owns Ulster Bank, is also taking that step. It is not a a blanket provision but will be assessed on a customer-by-customer basis.

"We will look to understand each customer’s situation on a case-by-case basis and can offer a number of options to help them manage their finances," the bank said.

Image source, PA Media

UK Finance, which represents the major banks, said all banks would consider increasing overdrafts or allowing repayment relief for loan or mortgage repayments for those affected by the virus.

Education Minister Peter Weir says his department stands by current advice that schools should remain open unless told to shut.

"We're living in exceptional circumstances and therefore we'll look at each individual case, it may be that events move on," Mr Weir said.

Newtownhamilton High School and primary school, both located on the same site in the County Armagh town, are closed after a student tested positive.

Mr Weir added that depending on the spread of the outbreak, there would be opportunities for schools to enact "remote learning".

Irish airline Aer Lingus has cancelled all flights to and from Italy until 3 April.

The move will take effect from Wednesday.

Image source, PA Media

Travel and public gatherings are currently restricted across Italy due to the high number of Covid-19 cases.

"As of 9.00am on Tuesday 10 March testing has resulted in four new presumed positive cases bringing the total number of cases in Northern Ireland to 16.

"All four cases are adults. One case involved recent travel from northern Italy. Three of the cases can be traced to a previously reported case that involved recent travel to northern Italy.

"The Public Health Agency is currently undertaking contact tracing for all four cases."