Summary

  • UK PM Johnson: Everyone should now avoid social contact with others

  • Macron orders French to stay at home - and says those who don't will be punished

  • EU set to close external borders to non-essential travellers

  • Financial markets plunge, with Dow suffering biggest one-day drop since 1987 crash

  • Germany closes shops and other public places, after shutting some borders

  • Johnson: Virus "a few weeks ahead" in London compared with rest of UK

  • WHO director urges governments to test all suspected virus cases, not just serious ones

  • Coronavirus infections are now higher outside China than in the country where the outbreak began

Live Reporting

Georgina Rannard, Kevin Ponniah, Joshua Nevett, Yvette Tan, Andreas Illmer, Owen Amos, Ashitha Nagesh, George Wright and Gavin Stamp

  1. Germany shuts down borders

    Germany will reintroduce border checks with France, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Denmark, starting at 8am local time, (07:00 GMT).

    People "without a significant reason to travel" - as well as anyone suspected of being infected - will not be allowed to cross.

    Commuters as well as goods will still be able to cross. German citizens and people with a residence permit will still be allowed to enter the country.

    Germany has 4,838 confirmed infections and 12 confirmed deaths.

  2. Welcome to the coronavirus live page

    Welcome back to the BBC's rolling coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Here are some of the latest developments:

    • Germany's borders will close some of its borders at 07:00 GMT
    • China records just four new local cases, plus 12 imported from overseas
    • The US has cut interest rates to almost zero
    • American Airlines reduces international capacity by 75% until May
    • A US sailor onboard a warship tests positive for the first time