Secunder Kermani
Pakistan & Afghanistan Correspondent

Image source, AFP

In Afghanistan, concerns are growing about the possible spread of coronavirus across the border from Iran, where at least 15 people have died.

There has been one confirmed case in the western Afghan city of Herat, and tests are being carried out on seven other people showing possible signs of the disease.

Religious pilgrims and migrant workers from Afghanistan frequently travel across the border to Iran.

The Herat patient had recently returned from the Iranian city of Qom – a holy site for Shia Muslims – and the apparent centre of the outbreak in the country.

Afghanistan has suspended travel to Iran. But there are a significant number of unofficial border crossings.

Access to healthcare in Afghanistan is poor. Neighbouring Pakistan has also closed its border with Iran in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus.

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As we've told you, Iran's deputy health minister has tested positive for the new coronavirus disease. The country is struggling to contain an outbreak that has killed 15 people.

In his video, apparently shot himself, Mr Harirchi said he was self-isolating.

"I had a fever as of last night and my preliminary test was positive around midnight," he said.

"I've isolated myself in a place since. I am starting medication.

"I wanted to tell you that... we will definitely be victorious against this virus in the next few weeks," the minister said.

Iran's Fars news agency has tweeted a video, apparently showing Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi confirming that he has been infected with the coronavirus.

He had appeared at a press conference on Monday looking unwell and mopping his brow.

He had "been on the frontlines combatting the virus", a health ministry spokesman said.

Image source, EPA

A team from the World Health Organization is currently in Rome, holding talks with the Italian authorities about how to contain the virus there.

Speaking to reporters, the Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, said the government's approach was based on scientific recommendations.

"We are working in close contact with the highest experts in the field of virology. Our recommendations, the ones we have announced and will continue to announce always have a solid technical and scientific basis.

"You have our guarantee that the measures we are recommending have been thoroughly investigated and verified in order to ensure they are the most effective - and proportional - approach.

"If we approach the situation with an overly dramatic mindset, one of alarmism, of social panic, the result will obviously be only confusion and negative effects that do not help us", he added.

Italy has confirmed its first case in the south of the country.

A woman from the northern city of Bergamo who is on holiday in Palermo in Sicily has tested positive for the virus.

The number of people in Italy known to be infected has now risen to 260.

Residents in the Sicilian port city of Catania told reporters they thought it was important to keep things in proportion and not panic.

"The authorities have not yet declared an outbreak of coronavirus in Sicily. They said there are some suspect cases, so there should be some care in not over-exaggerating one case. We should be careful with what we say", said Maura Ragusa.

And Nicola Iraca said: "I am worried but not too worried because it is important that we keep the alarm level low. As we know from the internet, there are a lot of infectious diseases, perhaps not at this level, but some research has confirmed that the death rate is very low."

As we reported earlier, Iran's deputy health minister has tested positive for coronavirus.

Iran's health ministry confirmed Iraj Harirchi is now under quarantine.

The country's outbreak is continuing to worsen with the official death toll now at 15.

The outbreak appears to have been centred on the holy city of Qom, which attracts pilgrims from across the Shia Muslim world.

South Korea, which currently has more than 900 cases of coronavirus, confirmed its 11th death on Tuesday.

About two-thirds of the confirmed cases are members of a sect, called the the Shincheonji Church of Jesus.

About 200,000 members of this group are set to be tested for the virus after the group's founder agreed to hand over their details as long as their names are not made public.

Meanwhile in Seoul, a member of the world's biggest Presbyterian Church has tested positive for the virus.

A Korean Air cabin crew member has also tested positive.

Flights have been suspended to Daegu, the southern city at the centre of the outbreak.

John Turton, a British guest at the hotel in Tenerife that is in lockdown, has been talking about the situation there.

He said he woke to find a note pushed under his door, saying that the hotel had been locked down for health reasons.

He says guests can walk around the grounds and sit on sun loungers, but the doors are locked and there is a police cordon around the outside to stop them leaving.

He said he wasn't too worried about the situation, and that he was waiting to hear more from the hotel management.

Both Austria and Croatia have confirmed their first cases of coronavirus.

One person is in hospital in Croatia's capital, Zagreb. Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic confirmed in a news conference that the patient was young and had milder symptoms. The patient had visited Milan from 19 - 21 February.

In Austria, a provincial government official from Tyrol has confirmed to the BBC that there are two cases of coronavirus.

Tyrol governor Guenther Platter told local media that the infected people were Italians who live in Austrian Tyrol.

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Fears about the spread of coronavirus have prompted further curbs on air travel in affected regions.

Bahrain has announced it will suspend flights to and from Dubai until further notice.

The UAE meanwhile, has suspended all flights to and from Iran, with the exception of the capital Tehran.

Find out more on how airlines are reacting to the outbreak here.

South Korea has seen the largest number of coronavirus cases outside of China.

The skyrocketing numbers have many asking how this could have happened. Here's a look at the situation there and whether a similar outbreak could happen elsewhere.

Read more

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Turkish nationals on board a plane from Iran to Istanbul are to be quarantined for 14 days and tested for possible coronavirus.

The flight was put on by the Turkish government after it closed the border with Iran at the weekend.

CNN Turk reported that 17 passengers were suspected of having the virus, including 12 from Iran's Qom region.

Qom is at the centre of the outbreak in Iran.

An aviation source told Reuters the plane was originally due to land in Istanbul but was diverted to Ankara. The Health Ministry denied this.

Image source, EPA

With infections reported in many different countries, it can be hard to get a handle on where the virus is taking hold, and how rapidly it is spreading.

So our data journalism team has produced this visual guide to the outbreak - packed with maps, charts and graphs, that should help you understand what's going on.

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Scientists are debating whether it is still possible to contain the new coronavirus.

Our health and science correspondent James Gallagher, considers how close the World Health Organization is to declaring a pandemic.

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Global financial markets saw some of the sharpest falls in years on Monday after a rise in coronavirus cases renewed fears about economic slowdown.

As our New York business reporter Samira Hussain says, part of the answer can be found in the ballooning number of confirmed cases in China and elsewhere. Investors worry this could mean a prolonged economic slowdown around the world.

Read about the financial markets in more detail here.

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Iran's president has urged people not to panic as it struggles to contain a coronavirus outbreak.

Hassan Rouhani expressed confidence that the country would overcome the crisis, which has left at least 16 dead.

Iran has reported 95 confirmed Covid-19 cases since last week, but the actual number is thought to be far higher.

The World Health Organization has said the sudden rise is "deeply concerning".

You can read more about the situation in Iran here.

Image source, Reuters

Italy has the largest number of cases in Europe. Seven people have died and a total of 260 infections have been confirmed.

Over the weekend it announced a series of drastic measures to try and contain the outbreak.

A lockdown is in place in several small towns in the northern region of Lombardy and Veneto.

It comes as authorities in Italy opened a probe into rising prices for face masks and hand gels.

Police have also issued warnings that criminals posing as health inspectors have been using false papers to access people's houses and steal valuables.

Mark Lowen is in Lombardy, and has written this piece about how people are coping with the sudden imposition of restrictions.

An Iraqi family of four who had returned to Iraq after a visit to neighbouring Iran have tested positive for coronavirus, according to Reuters.

The have been placed in quarantine in Kirkuk, where the governor said authorities were implementing emergency measures to prevent a larger outbreak.

Iraq reported its first case on Monday - an Iranian theology student in the city of Najaf.

Image source, BSIP

As we've just told you, officials are preparing for the possibility that this could become a pandemic.

Read more about what a pandemic is, when it is declared and how likely it is.