The fight against the coronavirus is at a 'decisive point', the World Health Organization says
It would be 'fatal' for any country to assume it will not get cases, WHO chief warns
Saudi Arabia is stopping foreign pilgrims entering the country
Two more patients have tested positive in the UK, bringing the total to 15
Japan plans to close all schools from 2 March
Several European countries have announced new cases, traced to Italy
Globally, more than 80,000 people in more than 40 countries have been infected
This picture was taken in a supermarket in Codogno, in Lombardy in northern Italy - one of the many small Italian towns in lockdown because of the virus outbreak.
Image source, INSTAGRAM/@_GIUSEPPEANZIVINO_/via REUTERSThe governor of the Italian region of Lombardy, Attilio Fontana, has said in a Facebook video that he will go into quarantine over the next two weeks after an aide tested positive for the virus.
Lombardy has been at the centre of the country's coronavirus outbreak. There are currently 400 confirmed cases in Italy.
Parasite director Bong Joon-ho and actor Song Kang-ho have each donated 100 million won ($82,360; £63,762) to the Korea Disaster Relief Association, which has contributed to coronavirus relief efforts in South Korea.
The film recently scooped up four awards at the Oscars, include the award for Best Picture.
Image source, getM Ilyas Khan
BBC News, Islamabad
One of the doubts about Saudi Arabia's pilgrimage ban is whether it will be there until July and August, when Hajj takes place.
But Umrah pilgrimages go on all year round - and it is certain that thousands of Pakistanis will have to drop or reschedule their plans.
However, the ban doesn’t seem to have come as a shock.
Nevertheless, a sense of the impact can be had from Saudi government statistics recently published in this report., external
Pakistanis have been on top in terms of numbers performing Umrah over the past two years, followed by Indonesia and India.
As many as 2.1 million Pakistanis performed Umrah in 2019, while the number for 2018 was 1.7 million.
The total number for January to June 2019 was 1.6 million - an average of more than 8,900 people a day.
South Korea announced 334 new cases of Covid-19 on Thursday - taking total infections to 1,595. This photo was taken in Seoul today.
Image source, EPAPhil Mercer
BBC News Sydney
Australia is activating an emergency plan to deal with the coronavirus outbreak, its prime minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday.
The plan will focus on making sure there are adequate medical supplies and protective equipment across the country. Under this plan, elective surgeries could be suspended and large gatherings like sports matches and concerts could be cancelled.
Australia has reported 23 cases of coronavirus. A ban on foreign visitors from China - in place since 1 February - has been extended by another week.
Sameer Hashmi
BBC Middle East business correspondent
Drawing lessons from what happened in Iran, Saudi Arabia’s decision to temporarily halt all religious pilgrimages does not come as a surprise.
Most of the coronavirus cases that have emerged in neighbouring countries like Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain are linked to travellers who had gone to Iran for religious visits.
The ban comes less than 60 days before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins. This is the second busiest period during which millions of pilgrims visit Mecca – the birth place of the Prophet.
The authorities have also decided not to allow non-religious travellers from countries where the coronavirus has spread.
This decision comes at a time when the Saudi government has been giving a big push to the tourism sector by liberating visa rules to attract more visitors. The authorities are aiming for tourism to constitute 10% of GDP by 2030.
The country’s economy is already under pressure – with oil prices sliding due to fall in demand. The kingdom is the top supplier of oil to China.
A Japanese man in his 80s has died after contracting the coronavirus, said local broadcaster TBS.
The report said he lived in the northern-most island of Hokkaido - which has Japan's highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases outside Tokyo.
Eight people have now died from Covid-19 in Japan, including four who had been on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Resty Woro Yuniar
BBC News, Jakarta
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has said he "respects" the decision of the Saudi Arabian government to ban foreigners from entering the country for religious visits.
The ban includes visits to the two holiest sites in Islam - Mecca and Medina.
"We respect [and] appreciate that... the Saudi government prioritises the health of the people," said Mr Widodo.
But Indonesia's Religious Affairs Ministry on Thursday asked for an exemption for Indonesian pilgrims to be allowed entry into Saudi Arabia.
“We have requested an exemption, through diplomatic channel, because Indonesia is not exposed by coronavirus,” Arfi Hatim, Umrah and Special Hajj director at Ministry of Religious Affairs told Callistasia Wijaya of BBC Indonesia.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation.
The country currently has no known coronavirus cases - though experts have raised concerns about the accuracy of the lab tests in Indonesia.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe NHS has detailed its plans to cope with outbreaks of disease and surges in demand.
Five specialist hospitals have treated virus patients and another 19 regional infectious disease units are on stand-by to take patients.
But in the worst-case scenario of widespread transmission - classed as an epidemic - hospitals could start cancelling routine treatments to treat coronavirus patients.
Assessments will also have to be made about which patients can be advised to stay at home and isolate themselves - because the illness for many seems to be mild.
There are currently 13 cases of the virus - and no known cases of transmission within the UK.
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As seen by one journalist in Seoul:
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Iraq has confirmed its sixth case of Covid-19, a Reuters report quoting its health ministry says.
The Baghdad man had reportedly travelled from Iran, where there have been at least 139 cases and 19 deaths.
The five-time Olympic gold medallist Ian Thorpe has said athletes must decide whether they want to compete in this summer's Olympics in Tokyo.
Yesterday, Dick Pound from the International Olympic Committee said they were "committed" to the games starting in July - but added there was a scenario where they could "reluctantly" be postponed.
Thorpe told reporters in Canberra, Australia: "I would most definitely be concerned
"What we need...is to use some of the best expert disease specialists to find out what is the risk to the team.
"What is the risk to the other nations and how can we have an Olympic Games, one that is safe, that doesn’t put athletes at risk?
"I think the decision should come down to each individual athlete. But whether or not they want to compete, that they should take their health into consideration first."
Image source, PA MediaEstonia has confirmed its first Covid-19 case, Russian news agencies TASS and Interfax reported on Thursday.
The man is reportedly a permanent resident of Estonia, who had returned from Iran.
M Ilyas Khan
BBC News, Islamabad
Two people have been diagnosed with the infection in Karachi and Islamabad. Both are in quarantine, and both had recently travelled to Iran, officials say.
Meanwhile, the province of Sindh has ordered schools to close from today until after the weekend, while Balochistan's government has closed schools in the province until 15 March.
In the northern region, local authorities have banned hunting of migratory birds that cross into the region from China. As fear spreads, prices of masks at medical stores are reported to have more than tripled.
Pakistan has closed off its border with Iran - a major hotspot for the virus.
Image source, AFP/Getty ImagesThe Karachi hospital where one of the patients is being treated
The confirmed number of cases* in Europe currently stand at:
*Figures accurate as of 26 Feb
Germany's health minister has said the country is at the beginning of an epidemic.
"The infection chains are partially no longer trackable, and that is a new thing," said Jens Spahn at a news conference, according to a Reuters report.
"Large numbers of people have had contact with the patients, and that is a big change to the 16 patients we had until now where the chain could be traced back to the origin in China."
There are 21 confirmed virus cases in Germany.
Image source, Getty ImagesCrew members from a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship off Japan have begun leaving the vessel for a new quarantine on-shore, the government said.
"Today, 240 crew members are leaving the ship and this disembarking operation will continue for a couple of days," a health ministry official told AFP.
More than 700 people on board the ship tested positive for the virus, and four have died.
Image source, AFP / GettyThe ship earlier this week
Cleaners disinfect the Thai parliament in Bangkok - after a lawmaker had been in the building following a trip to Japan.
Image source, AFP