Image source, Reuters

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been talking about life in self-isolation and the country's newly announced economic stimulus package.

"I am in isolation, as well as my children, my wife is in quarantine," he told reporters on Friday, outside his official residence in Ottawa.

"The kids are doing Lego, my wife has been on the phone with friends and family.

"People need to make responsible decisions and check with medical professionals. I know Canadians will listen to the advice of experts.

"We - as many other Canadians right now - are following the advice of professionals."

Responding to questions about the country's new stimulus measures and financial provisions for citizens, he said: "People should not have to stress and worry about food and health at this time – we don’t want anyone to worry about how they are going to pay the rent – our focus now is helping Canadians through this rough period."

Mr Trudeau's wife, Sophie Grégoire, earlier tested positive for coronavirus after returning from a trip to London.

Dr Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health, who is leading the US response to coronavirus, told CBS early failings in getting widespread testing were now being "corrected".

"What we really need is to get the test available in venues that people could easily access. That has not been the case but it is very likely we will have that within the next week or so."

Max Matza
BBC News, Washington

Health officials in Washington and California, the states that have been most affected by coronavirus, say President Trump could help their medical response by issuing an emergency order.

By declaring an emergency, more people would qualify for Medicaid - government insurance provided to low-income citizens.

In Washington, it would allow more seniors to move out of hospital and into nursing homes, something they are unable to do unless they can prove that they have insurance to pay for it.

Previous disasters, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina and the H1N1 flu outbreak, triggered orders from both Republican and Democratic administrations that loosened rules regarding who qualifies under Medicaid.

The Trump administration has prioritised removing people from Medicaid, making them reluctant to expand its scope, according to healthcare experts.

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One of the world's leading universities has cancelled or postponed all exams scheduled for the Easter holidays due to an outbreak.

The University of Oxford says it made the decision to change exam dates between next Monday and 2 April after six students were diagnosed with coronavirus.

In a memo to staff and students, vice-chancellor Louise Richardson said the institution "intends to remain open until instructed to do otherwise" and was "advising all domestic undergraduates to return home for the break unless they have a compelling reason to stay".

Read the full story here.

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Cruise company Costa is postponing all its cruises globally until 3 April. Several of its ships have been prevented from docking in recent weeks over cases of coronavirus. On Tuesday people were allowed to disembark from Costa Fortuna in Singapore, after being denied entry in Malaysia and Thailand. Meanwhile Canada says all cruise ships carrying more than 500 people will be unable to stop in the country until 1 July.

Image source, Reuters

"Do not just let this fire burn" - that's what World Health Organization director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned governments at the WHO daily press conference.

He urged countries to “find, isolate, test and treat every case to break the chains of transmission”. Every case found reduced the risk of spread, he said.

More than 132,000 cases have been reported from 123 countries, and 5,000 people have died.

A new fund has been created that individuals and non-governmental organisations and businesses can contribute to for medical supplies and funding.

The WHO reiterated that "every person on the planet" should know the signs and symptoms of coronavirus - fever, dry cough and a sore throat, as well as difficulty breathing for some people.

Louisiana has postponed the Democratic presidential primaries scheduled for April, becoming the first state to do so as fears over the pandemic intensify, US media report.

The state now plans to hold the elections in June and July, CNBC reports, external.

• What are primaries and caucuses and how do they work?

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Iran has ordered its security forces to clear the streets of citizens nationwide over the next 24 hours to allow them to be checked for coronavirus.

"During the next 10 days, the entire Iranian nation will be monitored once through cyberspace, by phone and, if necessary, in person, and those suspected of being ill will be fully identified," Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri said.

The country has one of the highest numbers of cases outside China, and there has been concern about how the government is responding.

The country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said earlier this month that the virus would not impact the country for long and would disappear.

Max Matza
BBC News, Washington

Miami's mayor has tested positive for coronavirus, four days after coming into contact with a Brazilian government official who has since also tested positive.

Mayor Francis Suarez asked that those who had come into contact with him to take preventative measures.

“If we did not shake hands or you did not come into contact with me if I coughed or sneezed, there is no action you need to take whatsoever,” he said.

“If we did, however, touch or shake hands, or if I sneezed or coughed near you since Monday, it is recommended that you self-isolate for 14 days, but you do not need to get tested."

The mayor is one of many US politicians, including Donald Trump and Republican Rick Scott, who interacted with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and his staff - including the infected press secretary - during a trip to South Florida last week.

Mr Bolsonaro has tested negative for the virus. Mr Trump has so far resisted getting a test done.

Wuhan is, of course, the global epicentre of the outbreak. Two filmmakers have been filming daily life for the last 50 days - ever since their city went under lockdown in January.

Their story, Our World - Wuhan: Life Under Lockdown, is on BBC News and BBC World News now.

Palestinian police have been enforcing strict restrictions on movement in Bethlehem, which has been placed in lockdown.

The head of the World Health Organization says that Europe is now the "epicentre" of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Image source, PA Media

More European domestic football has been postponed. This time in Germany.

The Bundesliga and second tier, Bundesliga 2, have been suspended until 2 April, the league said in a statement., external

The decision was taken "in view of the dynamics of today's events with new coronavirus infections and corresponding suspected cases" linked to the leagues, it said.

Elite football in Britain has already been suspended until at least 3 April as a result of the spread of coronavirus.

Football has also been suspended in Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Portugal and the USA.

Kevin Connolly, BBC Europe Correspondent

The Czech Republic has banned foreigners from entering the country and all Czechs from leaving, from midnight on Sunday.

Any suspension of the right to travel without showing a passport across borders which have become invisible is bound to cause a tremor of alarm in Brussels.

Freedom of movement across the borders of those countries which signed up to the Schengen agreement is one of the EU’s most prized achievements.

The official view of the EU institutions is that the answer to a crisis like coronavirus is more co-operation between member states, not less.

Schengen has come under strain before – during the 2015 migrant crisis for example – but any suspension of complete freedom of movement has been temporary.

The Czech government clearly intends only a limited closure. The same applies to flight restrictions imposed by the Netherlands which has included Italy on a list of countries from which it won’t accept inbound planes.

There’s no explicit public health defence in the Schengen agreement for revoking freedom of movement but restrictions ARE allowed for a “threat to public policy”.

The Czechs, the Dutch and no doubt others would argue that the current crisis meets that test.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has argued against a general travel ban but accepts border checks may be required on borders within the EU. The Commission will want those checks to be minimalist and temporary – and for that prized accomplishment of passportless travel to be restored as soon as possible.

Rana Jawad
BBC North Africa correspondent, Tunis

Tunisia’s ministry of health has ordered all incoming travellers from any country in the world to immediately self-isolate upon arrival to the country, without exception.

This latest preventative measure against the spread of Covid-19 is a step-up from earlier in the week when this was only a requirement for those coming back from the worst-affected areas.

It’s a move that puts a lot of faith in people to individually comply, because in reality they cannot monitor this on a large scale of this kind. Breaking quarantine rules is a criminal offence here – if you are caught.

The rules are changing fast, in Tunisia and elsewhere on the continent. It appears the authorities are trying to strike a balance between prevention and containment, and avoiding more stringent measures like further suspension of flights to avoid the severe economic impact that comes with even tighter controls.

The new Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh is due to address the nation at 19:00 local time (18:00 GMT) – there’s no telling what he will announce tonight, but many Tunisians will be watching closely.

Local elections in England, scheduled for this May, have been postponed for a year due to the coronavirus.

More now on Buckingham Palace's announcement that the Queen's upcoming engagements have been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Sovereign, 93, was due to travel to Cheshire next Thursday to visit the Bentley car factory and the construction site of the world’s largest radio telescope.

Her spokesperson said the changes to her diary were "a sensible precaution and for practical reasons in the current circumstances"

He added that the decision to delay the trips had been made with advice from health experts and the UK government.

Image source, Getty Images

The Louvre museum in Paris - the most visited museum in the world - has announced it will close from 17:00 GMT on Friday until further notice.

It is the second time in weeks that the attraction has been forced to close over coronavirus and the possible health implications for its visitors and staff.

France has banned public gatherings of more than 100 people in an effort to limit the spread of coronavirus.

The museum is said to receive as many as 5,000 people a day.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has posted on Facebook that he's tested negative for coronavirus.

Image source, Reuters

The Queen has postponed visits to Cheshire and Camden, north London, next week amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Buckingham Palace said changes were being made to the Queen's diary commitments "as a sensible precaution".

She was due to visit Crewe and Macclesfield in Cheshire on 19 March and Camden on 26 March.

It comes after the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall postponed their spring tour of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, and Jordan due to the pandemic.

Read more here.