South Korea reported 110 new cases in the past 24 hours, the lowest number of daily infections in more than two weeks, reported Yonhap News.

This brings the number of cases in the country to 7,979.

However, more cases linked to a call centre in Seoul have emerged - sparking concerns of a growing outbreak in the capital.

"We cannot lower our guard," said the Mayor of Seoul Park Won-soon. "There is a possibility that [the call centre outbreak] may emit sparks to other areas."

North Korea has lifted quarantine on 70 foreigners - bringing the total number of foreigners released from isolation to nearly 300.

According to news site Yonhap quoting North Korean state media, those released have been put under medical supervision.

In February it quarantined hundreds of foreigners in an attempt to stop the virus from breaking out.

They were diplomats, their staff, and families, stationed in the capital Pyongyang.

There are no confirmed virus cases in North Korea, though critics have shed doubt on this.

• Foreigners leave Pyongyang on first flight for a month

Five new cases have been reported in Thailand, bringing the total number in the country to 75.

Two of these cases are part of the same group of friends who appeared to pass the virus to each other - one of them had been in close contact with a friend from Hong Kong.

The other three patients are a brother and two friends of the country's 57th patient who returned from a cosmetic surgery trip in South Korea.

The two friends had gone to a pub and shared a glass with the patient.

Image source, Getty Images

Ghana has confirmed its first two confirmed cases of coronavirus as Gabon confirmed its first case.

Ghana's Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang Manu said two people who'd arrived from Norway and Turkey tested positive.

In Gabon, the patient was a Gabonese man who'd arrived from France.

Gatherings of more than 500 people should be cancelled in Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said.

But the official recommendation does not apply to schools, universities or public transport, he added.

"What we are announcing today is just another step. It is precautionary," he told reporters.

"There [is] growing evidence... of greater community transmission of the coronavirus throughout Australia."

Image source, ABC

Singapore will deny entry or transit to visitors who have been to Italy, France, Spain or Germany in the past 14 days, its health ministry said on Friday.

The new restrictions will come into effect on Sunday, as infections across Europe continue to spread.

Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders will be allowed in, but will need to self-isolate for 14 days.

The Mormon church, known officially as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is suspending all public gatherings across the world.

It said in a statement that "all church gatherings - including public worship services, sacrament meetings, leadership conferences - will be suspended immediately".

The church reportedly has 16 million members worldwide.

Image source, Getty Images

Trading on India's national stock exchange has been halted for 45 minutes after indexes crashed.

The benchmark Nifty index fell by 10% in early trading, while the premium Senxex fell by 3,000 points.

Local business site Moneycontrol said it was the steepest fall ever for the indexes in absolute terms.

As the rest of the world begins to shut down, new cases in China have almost slowed to a halt.

Just eight cases new reported in Friday's daily briefing, with five in Wuhan.

The other three cases came from overseas.

The actor and his wife, fellow performer Rita Wilson, have thanked hospital staff in Australia, a day after revealing they have the virus.

The couple are in Queensland, where Hanks had been working on an Elvis Presley biopic being directed by Baz Luhrmann.

"We are taking it one-day-at-a-time," he wrote on Instagram, signing off with a reference to his 1992 film A League of Their Own: "Remember, despite all the current events, there is no crying in baseball."

A Philippine diplomat in New York has tested positive in the first recorded Covid-19 case at United Nations headquarters, news agency AFP reports.

The diplomat last visited the UN on Monday. He works at the UN General Assembly's Sixth Committee, which deals with legal matters.

About 3,000 people work at the UN's New York HQ.

Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of medical journal The Lancet, on the outbreak in the UK:

Airline Virgin Australia says a flight attendant has tested positive for the virus. Passengers from a number of flights are being contacted, the airline says.

Travel-related industries continue to be hit hard financially, too.

Australia’s largest travel agency, Flight Centre, announced on Friday it would close 100 stores nationwide in response to "softening" demand for travel. It did not say how many jobs could be lost.

"The timeframe for recovery is unclear," the company said in a statement.

Image source, Getty Images

The first case in China can be traced back to November last year, reported news site the South China Morning Post. , external

According to government data seen by SCMP, a 55-year-old in Hubei province could have been the first to contract the virus on 17 November.

From that date, one to five new cases were reported each day. By 15 December, the total number of infections was 27 and by 20 December, this number had reached 60.

Singapore is closing all 70 mosques in the country after two Singaporeans who attended a mass religious gathering in Malaysia tested positive.

Around 90 Singaporeans attended the gathering. All mosques will be closed for five days for cleaning.

Separately, Catholic Mass will remain suspended indefinitely in Singapore. This is a reversal of an earlier decision by the Catholic Church to resume Mass.

The head of the local Catholic Church said the decision was made to "protect the larger population".

Image source, Getty Images

Hong Kong, the special administrative region of China, has reported its fourth death - an 80-year-old man who died in hospital.

More than 3,000 people have died in mainland China - almost all in the province of Hubei.

Despite being in isolation for two weeks, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will continue to work, his office has said.

"The prime minister is in good health with no symptoms.

"As a precautionary measure and following the advice of doctors, he will be in isolation for a planned period of 14 days.

"The prime minister will continue to fully assume his duties and will address Canadians tomorrow."

Mr Trudeau will not be tested as he has no symptoms.

Image source, Getty Images

Apple has re-opened all 42 of its stores in China, more than a month after they were all shut.

The firm said in early February it would shut all its stores, corporate offices and contact centres across the country.

The number of new cases in China has slowly declined in recent weeks.

China's vice industry minister Xin Guobin said on Friday the work resumption rate outside of Hubei province, where the outbreak emerged, is about 60% for small and medium firms - and over 95% for larger firms.

This week, some workplaces also began to reopen in the epicentre, Wuhan.