Image source, Reuters

African airlines have lost $400m (£312m) since the outbreak of the coronavirus in China in February, according to the global airline industry body, the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The losses have come from suspended and cancelled flights on routes to China. Airlines including South African Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Air Tanzania, and Kenya Airways have all suspended flights.

However, the continent’s largest airline, Ethiopian Airlines, is still operating flights to and from five cities in China.

The vice president of the IATA told the BBC the impact of the disease will only get worse for African airlines - which last year posted losses of $100m.

So far, cases of coronavirus have been reported in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Nigeria and Senegal - although no African nation has suffered a major outbreak.

How about this for a doomsday scenario: being stuck on the toilet and finding you're down to the last square.

At least that appears to be the nightmare prospect scaring many Australians right now, who have become the latest group to respond to coronavirus fears by buying toilet paper en masse.

This is despite authorities stressing there is no shortage - given most of the nation's rolls are made locally.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is set to announce more measures to combat the coronavirus outbreak. Italy is the worst-hit European country with some 2,260 cases and 79 deaths so far, including more than 20 in the past 24 hours.

Health officials believe there has been a slowdown in the number of new cases but are considering extending the quarantine red zone near the industrial city of Bergamo, north-east of Milan.

The new measures being considered will apply for the whole country for 30 days. No handshakes, no hugs or kisses, and people may be asked to stay a metre apart from each other.

There could be a halt to conferences and meetings, and sports events including football may have to take place behind closed doors. Over-75s may be asked to stay at home and even people over 65 may have to do the same if they are in poor health.

Image source, Reuters

South Korea has reported another 516 coronavirus cases, bringing the total number to more than 5,300.

There were five new deaths in the country, taking the total to 38 so far.

As the number of cases rose, the government pledged an “extra budget” of 11.7 trillion won ($9.8bn; £7.6bn) to fight the virus and mitigate the economic fallout.

About 20% of the money will go towards medical equipment, hospital beds and treatment facilities.

So far, 92 countries have imposed travel restrictions on people from South Korea - the worst-hit country after China.

Kurdish news agency Rudaw has reported that Iraq has suffered its first fatality from Covid-19.

A 70-year-old cleric, whose health was described as “unstable”, died just hours after it was first announced he had contracted the disease.

Iraq currently has 32 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Kurdish and Iraqi authorities have closed their borders with neighbouring Iran. The number of cases in Iran rose by more than 50% for the second consecutive day on Tuesday to 2,336 – although the real figure is believed to be far higher.

Image source, AFP

Hello and welcome back to our rolling coverage of the coronavirus outbreak.

• Italian PM to announce more measures to combat the virus outbreak
• There are fears of global shortages of some common drugs after India limited the export of certain medicines
• South Korea confirms 5,328 cases, 516 of them new; there were five new deaths in the country, taking the total to 38 so far
• Hong Kong is sending two chartered flights to repatriate some 258 residents from Hubei province, where the outbreak began in mainland China
• New cases have been recorded in Chile and Argentina

To keep informed, follow our top stories and guides:

• A guide to spotting the symptoms
• A visual guide to the outbreak
• Find out about your rights as a traveller