More on what UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Sunday morning about government plans to tackle the outbreak.

He told the BBC the UK had not ruled out following other countries by ordering the closure of restaurants, bars and other shops to prevent the virus spreading.

When asked if ministers were planning on shutting up shops other than pharmacies and supermarkets, Mr Hancock told the BBC: "We haven't ruled that out, we will do what is necessary."

He said efforts to fight the virus would "dirsupt the lives of almost everybody" in the country.

Addressing concerns about a lack of NHS ventilators, to help patients with the most severe symptoms, Mr Hancock acknowledged the 5,000 already available would not be enough. He said the government would be urging manufacturers to produce as many as possible.

Read more here.

European governments have given different estimates of how many people in their respective countries they think will be affected by the virus.

On Sunday, French Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said about half of the French population would be infected by the virus.

"From the start, the strategy has not been to prevent the virus from passing - we know that it will probably pass through more than half of us - but it is to make sure that it is spread as much as possible over time," he told France Info.

In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel warned earlier this week that up to 70% of the country's population - some 58 million people - could contract the virus.

The British government has previously said up to a fifth of the workforce may be off sick during the peak of the epidemic in the UK, and that up to 80% of Britons could catch coronavirus in a worst-case scenario of a major outbreak.

Everyone in the Czech Republic will be quarantined, local news agency CTK reports, quoting Prime Minister Andrej Babis.

The Czech ministry of health said earlier today that there were now 214 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country - an increase of 25 since yesterday.

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Indonesian President Joko Widodo has said that he'll get tested for coronavirus, and that some of his ministers have already undergone tests as a precaution, after the country's transport minister tested positive for the disease.

Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi was confirmed as having coronavirus on Saturday. He had attended a cabinet meeting led by President Widodo on Wednesday.

President Widodo also said people should work from home and avoid mass gatherings.

Infections in the country rose by 21 to 117, with five deaths related to the virus.

Indonesia confirmed its first cases of coronavirus on 2 March. As other countries in the region had reported greater numbers of cases far earlier, this raised concerns among medical experts that infections were either not being reported or going undetected.

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization urged President Widodo to declare a national state of emergency over the virus and to step up containment measures.

In the UK, supermarkets are urging shoppers not to buy more than they need amid concern over stockpiling.

In a joint letter, UK retailers have reminded customers to be considerate in their shopping, so that others are not left without much-needed items.

"There is enough for everyone if we all work together," it adds.

It comes after some shops began rationing the sales of certain products to avoid them selling out completely.

In the letter, the retailers say online and click-and-collect services are at "full capacity" and staff and suppliers are "working day and night to keep the nation fed".

The retailers say they are working "closely" with government and suppliers to make more deliveries to stores so that shelves are well-stocked.

Read more here.

• Can you stop people panic-buying?

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Police and soldiers have been clearing the streets of Manila as a mandatory quarantine comes into force.

Domestic flights in and out of the Philippine capital have also been halted for a month.

"People are advised to stay home and not do anything," Interior Secretary Eduardo Año told reporters.

There are some exceptions to the quarantine, and people who need to go to work will be allowed to do so by going through checkpoints.

Buses, taxis and city trains have also been ordered to carry fewer passengers, so that people can sit at least a seat apart from each other. People with fevers aren't allowed to board.

In recent days, the number of confirmed cases in the Philippines has almost doubled to 111, and eight people have died.

In Italy, people are getting used to spending a lot of time at home, and in the cities, many end up spending some of it at their windows or on their balconies.

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A local newspaper in Italy's Lombardy region, one of the worst affected in the coronavirus outbreak, posted just over one page of obituaries on 9 February.

A little more than a month on, the Eco di Bergamo has 10 pages of death notices.

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Earlier this week Ren Zhiqiang, an outspoken critic of the Chinese government, wrote an article criticising the official response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Now, his friends say he's missing.

Speaking to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper,, external his friend Wan Ying says she "hasn't been able to reach Ren Zhiqiang since Thursday night... It's been over 72 hours already".

According to SCMP, Mr Ren's article criticised both the initial cover-up of the virus, and also the government's promotion of their success in handling the epidemic.

It's unclear if his disappearance is linked to the article, but he had reportedly been under government surveillance for four years.

With face masks in high demand, we look at whether they really can protect people from the virus.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said the outbreak is the "biggest public health emergency in a generation".

It called for "dramatic action, at home and abroad, of the kind not normally seen in peacetime", he writes in the Telegraph newspaper, external.

"Our goal is to protect life from this virus, our strategy is to protect the most vulnerable and protect the NHS through contain, delay, research and mitigate."

Mr Hancock has also confirmed that action to isolate the over-70s is planned in the coming weeks.

The Governor of American Samoa, Lolo Matalasi Moliga, has placed himself in isolation after visiting Seattle and Honolulu.

Seattle, Washington, has had the highest number of coronavirus-related deaths in the US.

On Saturday Seattle announced three new deaths and 60 new cases, bringing its total to 35 deaths and 387 cases.

American Samoa, a US territory, currently has no confirmed cases of the virus.

Jessica Labhart
BBC News

How are professional cleaners dealing with the risks of possible contamination during the outbreak?

As people try to protect themselves from coronavirus, the services of cleaners are in high demand. But how are those tasked with protecting others keeping themselves safe?

"It is frightening really," says Deb Lawrence, 60, who runs a cleaning business in Dudley in the West Midlands.

Read more here.

A memorial service for the first anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attacks in New Zealand has been cancelled.

Many were expected to travel to the memorial from around New Zealand and overseas.

But in a statement, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said: “We’re very saddened to cancel, but in remembering such a terrible tragedy, we shouldn’t create the risk of further harm being done."

Yesterday, New Zealand announced mandatory self-isolation for all arrivals, except for those from the Pacific Islands.

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Residents in Spain and Italy have shown their gratitude to health personnel on the coronavirus frontline, by applauding from their windows. The nationwide events were organised through social media to take place at the same time.

The Vatican has announced that its traditional Easter week celebrations will be held this year without a congregation, because of the pandemic.

The services, which run from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday, usually draw tens of thousands of people to sites in Rome and in the Vatican.

Last Sunday, Pope Francis conducted his traditional service via live streaming before briefly appearing at a window.

Australia is bringing in a mandatory 14-day self-isolation period for everyone arriving into the country from midnight Sydney time (13:00 GMT).

The rule is going to be enforced regardless of where people are travelling from.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison also said cruise ships would be banned from the country for 30 days.

He said: "In specific cases where we have Australians on cruise ships then there will be some bespoke arrangements that will be put in place directly under the command of the Australian Border Force to ensure the relevant protections are put in place."

Read more here

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UK airlines have asked the government for a package worth several billion pounds, as they warn they may not survive the coronavirus pandemic without emergency financial support.

In a stark message, Airlines UK said the government's "prevarication" and "bean-counting" had to stop.

"We're talking about the future of UK aviation - one of our world-class industries - and unless the government pulls itself together, who knows what will be left of it once we get out of this mess," it added.

Read more here.

As a result of the latest restrictions in France, the organisation looking after the country's ski resorts has announced all French resorts will close on Sunday.

"Holiday-makers and professionals, all of us sport-lovers, we must accept reality given the seriousness of the situation," Domaines Skiables said.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial has been postponed until 24 May due to a "state of emergency" in the courts.

Mr Netanyahu is being tried on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. His trial was due to open in the Jerusalem District Court on 17 March.

In the early hours of the morning, Justice Minister Amir Ohana issued the emergency order postponing all non-urgent court sessions.

It will be in force for 24 hours but is expected to be extended.