Summary

  • Italy is closing all schools from Thursday for at least 10 days

  • Iran is also closing schools and universities until early April

  • UK government says it is preparing for 'significant' spread of virus

  • World Health Organization urges countries to act with "speed and determination"

  • Tennessee and New Jersey confirm first cases, 18 US states now affected

  • International Monetary Fund announces $50bn in funding for affected countries

Live Reporting

Ashitha Nagesh and Adrian Dalingwater

  1. Another cruise ship caught up in outbreak

    Passengers on board the Grand Princess cruise ship will be tested after a former passenger died of the coronavirus in California, say local media outlets.

    The San Francisco-based ship, which is reportedly carrying more than 3,000 people, is now being held off the coast of California.

    Officials are due to begin testing passengers for the virus but it's not clear how long they might be quarantined for.

    This is not the first time a cruise ship from Princess Cruises has been held in quarantine.

    Earlier last month, hundreds of people on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship became infected with the virus.

    The Ruby Princess, a Grand-class cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises,Get

  2. 'Recovered' coronavirus patient dies after being discharged

    A 36-year-old man in the Chinese virus epicentre of Wuhan has died five days after being discharged, said news site SCMP quoting Chinese state media outlet The Paper.

    The Wuhan health commission said the direct cause of his death was Covid-19.

  3. A freezing wait for face masks

    Here's the scene in South Korea, where the government has just banned the export of face masks:

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  4. Welcome back

    Hello and welcome back to the BBC's rolling coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. Here's what you need to know to bring you up to speed:

    • The number of confirmed cases in South Korea has risen to 5,766. Three more deaths were also reported, bringing the death toll to 35. Its government has also banned mask exports
    • The Australian government has banned the arrival of foreigners from South Korea. Australia now has 53 cases of coronavirus and two deaths
    • Japan's Olympics minister says the country is committed to hosting the Games
    • California declares state of emergency after first virus death in the state
    • Schools in Italy close today for at least 10 days