An EU official in Brussels has tested positive for the new coronavirus.

The man, a member of staff at the European Defence Agency (EDA), had recently returned from a trip to Italy, media network Euractiv reports.

Dana Spinant, deputy chief spokeswoman of the European Commission, told AFP news agency: "We have confirmation of the case."

A spokeswoman for the EDA has denied reports that the official, who has not been named, had attended a lengthy meeting with about 30 other EU members of staff in Brussels before he was diagnosed.

All meetings at the EU headquarters in the city have been cancelled until 13 March.

Germany has imposed an immediate ban on exports of personal protective equipment, including masks and gloves, in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

It comes as the French government announced that protection masks are being requisitioned to ensure priority access for health professionals and patients.

Image source, EPA

Vice President Mike Pence - who is in charge of the US response to the coronavirus crisis - has stressed that any American can now be tested for the virus if a doctor deems it necessary.

“When I talked to some state officials, there was a sense that the tests would not be administered to people that were mildly symptomatic,” Mr Pence told reporters, in a White House briefing.

“We’re issuing clear guidance that subject to doctors’ orders, any American can be tested.”

It has raised questions over how quickly the government can escalate the production of testing kits - and how much patients will have to pay to be tested.

Nine deaths have now been confirmed in the US. All of those killed lived in Washington state.

India says it has already screened some 600,000 people for the virus at its air and seaports, and put more than 27,000 people "under surveillance" across the country.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan says India was “the first country in the world to prepare for an outbreak” as it began screening on 17 January, two weeks before the WHO declared an emergency.

“India is thoroughly prepared to handle any situation that could emerge,” he said.

However, experts say the world’s second most populous country would face considerable challenges if there was an outbreak.

It would be impossible to mass quarantine people like China has successfully done, and the country’s creaky public health system would be find it difficult to accommodate all patients.

Image source, EPA

Businesses around the world are counting the cost of coronavirus.

BBC journalists have compiled eight key maps and charts on how Covid-19 has impacted a range of industries, from car sales and smart phones to tourism.

Good news stories include a seven-year high for the price of gold and industries manufacturing disinfectant products.

See for yourself.

Friends are having to sit at separate tables when dining in China.

The Chinese economy has slowed dramatically in response to the coronavirus crisis.

The BBC's Stephen McDonell takes a walk around Beijing's usually busy shopping streets, to see how people are coping.

Argentina and Chile have reported their first cases of the coronavirus.

A 43-year-old man who had travelled to Italy was the first case in Argentina, while the 33-year-old Chilean man had spent a month in Southeast Asia.

The Argentine patient has been in isolation since arriving at a health clinic in Buenos Aires.

The Chilean man's symptoms are said to be "quite light".

Image source, Getty Images

What a challenge to be the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the time of the coronavirus.

The entire planet hanging on your every word, addressing daily news conferences at the headquarters in Geneva to detail an ever-increasing number of cases in an ever-increasing number of countries.

This is the lot of Ethiopian Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the first African head of the WHO - and you can find out more about him in Imogen Foulkes' profile.

The total number of deaths from coronavirus in Iran has risen to 92, the health ministry reports, with 15 new deaths announced on Wednesday.

The total number of cases in the country increased by 586 in the last 24 hours.

Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said 522 people had fully recovered from the infection.

The French government is stepping in to regulate face masks and hand gels, the Local France reports. , external

President Emmanuel Macron announced that the government would take control of all stocks and distribute them to people who need them.

It comes as hospitals in France reported thefts of 10,000 masks.

Hôpitaux de Paris has reported the theft of 8,300 masks from its sites, as well as 1,200 bottles of hand sanitiser gel, while the Hôpital de la Conception in Marseille reported the theft of 2,000 masks.

The French government has advised that masks are only necessary for those infected or who are self-isolating. Despite this, stocks are running low across the country.

Image source, Reuters

Hospitals in the UK are being asked to carry out more video-based consultations of patients to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus.

NHS England hopes the move will reduce the number of people in hospitals and lower the potential for transmission.

Officials believe up to a fifth of the workforce may be off sick during the peak of an epidemic in the UK.

The number of people diagnosed with coronavirus in Scotland has risen to three, bringing the total number of UK cases to 53.

Read more.

Image source, PA Media

The World Health Organization has warned that banknotes may be spreading coronavirus.

A spokesman has advised consumers to use contactless payments to minimise any risks.

“We know that money changes hands frequently and can pick up all sorts of bacteria and viruses,” a WHO spokesman said.

“We would advise people to wash their hands after handling banknotes, and avoid touching their face.”

Last month banks in China and Korea began disinfecting and isolating used banknotes as part of efforts to stem the spread of the deadly virus.

However, a Bank of England spokesman told the Telegraph it had no plans to follow suit, adding "the risk posed by handling a polymer note is no greater than touching any other common surface, such as handrails, doorknobs or credit cards”.

It is not known how long the virus can survive outside the body, but experts believe the odds of contracting the virus via inanimate objects are low.

Disinfecting robots, smart helmets, thermal camera-equipped drones and advanced facial recognition software are all being deployed in the fight against Covid-19 at the heart of the outbreak in China.

President Xi Jinping has called on the country's tech sector to help battle the epidemic.

Healthcare tech is also being used to identify coronavirus symptoms, find new treatments and monitor the spread of the disease, which has so far infected more than 90,000 people worldwide.

But is it up to the job? Read more here

Image source, Getty Images

India reported 17 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing the total in the country to 28, according to the government.

The numbers on Tuesday included 14 Italian tourists who were part of a tour group.

One Indian who was travelling with them to the northern state of Rajasthan has also tested positive.

In the capital Delhi, an Indian citizen who had recently travelled to Italy tested positive for the virus on Monday.

Other affected regions include the southern states of Telangana and Kerala.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tweeted that he will not participate in any celebrations for the Holi spring festival.

“Experts across the world have advised to reduce mass gatherings to avoid the spread of COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. Hence, this year I have decided not to participate in any Holi Milan programme.”

Image source, EPA

The London Book Fair has been cancelled, "following the escalation of COVID-19 Coronavirus in Europe".

Organisers Reed Exhibitions said: "The effects, actual and projected, of Coronavirus are becoming evident across all aspects of our lives here in the UK and across the world, with many of our participants facing travel restrictions.

"We have been following UK government guidelines and working with the rolling advice from the public health authorities and other organisations, and so it is with reluctance that we have taken the decision not to go ahead with this year’s event."

The decision follows the withdrawal of a wave of major publishers including Penguin Random House, Pan Macmillan and Harper Collins.

In a statement issued on Tuesday. Penguin Random House said it was withdrawing from this year's fair "in the interest of the health and wellbeing of our employees, authors, and partners".

The annual London Book Fair, which was scheduled to take place from 10-12 March, is among the biggest of its type in the world - second only to Frankfurt. Book fairs in Leipzig and Bologna have already been cancelled due to the outbreak.

Organisers vowed the fair will return in 2021.

There are fears of global shortages of some common drugs after India limited the export of certain medicines due to the coronavirus.

India's drug makers rely on China for almost 70% of the active ingredients in their medicines.

Industry experts have warned that manufacturers are likely to face shortages if the epidemic continues.

On Wednesday, India - the world's biggest supplier of generic drugs - has restricted exports of 26 ingredients and the medicines made from them.

The restricted drugs include Paracetamol, one of the world's most widely-used pain relievers.

Read more.

The first edition of the Coronavirus Podcast, from BBC News, will go live on Wednesday on BBC Sounds.

The podcast will be presented by the BBC correspondents Fergus Walsh, Tulip Mazumdar, Dharshini David and James Gallagher, who will be joined by a range of expert guests.

Catch the first edition later today looking at where things stand currently - and how we got here.

China has confirmed 119 new cases of the virus and 38 more deaths.

The majority were in the province of Hubei, where the virus first emerged in December.

In total, the country has now reported more than 80,000 infections and almost 3,000 deaths.

Although the vast majority of cases remain in China, the virus is now spreading faster outside the country than inside.

Image source, AFP

Videos of Iranian healthcare workers on the frontline of the outbreak dancing are doing the rounds on social media.

The outbreak of Covid-19 in Iran has killed at least 77 people in less than two weeks.