James Gallagher
Health and science correspondent, BBC News

Change course or a quarter of a million people will die in a "catastrophic epidemic" of coronavirus - warnings do not come much starker than that.

The message came from researchers modelling how the disease will spread, how the NHS would be overwhelmed and how many would die.

The science has shifted dramatically and as a result we are now facing the most profound changes to our daily lives in peacetime.

This realisation has happened only in the past few days.

However, it is long after other scientists and the World Health Organization had warned of the risks of not going all-out to stop the virus.

Read more from James here.

The UK is set to announce more financial measures to help the economy, as the latest restrictions leave firms across the country fearing for their future.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged people to stay away from pubs and restaurants, and to avoid unnecessary social contact.

Read more on what the UK government might do here.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Amazon has said it will hire 100,000 warehouse and delivery workers in the US to deal with a surge in sales during the coronavirus pandemic.

The online retail giant also said it would increase pay for its staff in the UK, US and Europe.

The company's delivery systems have come under pressure as consumers avoid shops and stock up online instead.

The outbreak, which has led to more than 7,000 deaths globally, has prompted lockdowns around the world.

Read more here

Image source, AFP/Getty

Global stock markets are seeing record levels of volatility with the five biggest one-day points falls happening in less than a month.

On Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average saw its biggest one-day slide in more than three decades.

This was the latest huge swing as investors weigh the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

It comes as a key measure of stock market volatility, known as the "Fear Gauge", has surged to a record high.

Asian shares continued to see volatile trading on Tuesday with markets in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai swinging between losses and gains. At the same time US stock index futures indicated a positive open for Wall Street.

Read more here

Here's a quick sum up of some of the travel restrictions in force, or going into effect in the next few days, across the region:

• Hong Kong - All people arriving from abroad will be quarantined for 14 days starting Thursday
• Australia - All travellers will have to self-isolate for 14 days. Foreign nationals who have been to China, Iran, Korea and Italy not allowed in
• South Korea - Travellers from China's Hubei province not allowed in. International arrivals from certain countries will need to submit papers on their health condition
• Malaysia - All foreign visitors have been banned, all Malaysians will not be allowed to travel overseas starting 18 March until 31 March. All returning Malaysians will have to self quarantine for 14 days

Find out more about these travel restrictions, here.

Image source, Getty Images

Laura Bicker
BBC News

South Korea will postpone the start of the school term for another two weeks to prevent the spread of the virus.

Schools were initially meant to re-open on 23 March, but this will now be pushed to 6 April.

Washington has called on researchers in the US and other parts of the world to use artificial intelligence to answer key questions about coronavirus.

In a statement posted online, external, the White House urged experts to "develop new text and data mining techniques" to help answer "high-priority" scientific questions relating to Covid-19.

The White House is joining forces with technology giants Microsoft and Google to compile an extensive database about the virus in the hope that computers may find data missed by humans.

Image source, IFSW

Today, 17 March, is World Social Work Day, which aims to promote and celebrate the work of the profession.

This year, the theme of the day is "Promoting the Importance of Human Relationships" and the logo was a warm handshake.

But in keeping with the worldwide advice to avoid physical contact, the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) has quickly rebranded the logo - it now shows two people in a deep bow.

The organisation has said social workers will have a key role to play during the virus crisis, to look after vulnerable people, assist communities in organising, and help "people with anxieties and in social isolation to remain calm".

Image source, IFSW

The top US military commander in South Korea has said he is "fairly certain" there are cases of the virus in North Korea, despite Pyongyang's claim of having zero cases.

"They claim they have no Covid-19 cases. It's a closed off nation so we can't say emphatically they have cases, but we're fairly certain they do," he said, according to a report by specialist news site NK News.

"What I do know is that their armed forces had been fundamentally in a lockdown for about 30 days and only recently have they started routine training again."

North Korea is known to have one of the world's poorest health care systems - and there are fears it would come under severe strain if there was an outbreak.

Image source, Getty Images

Saira Asher
BBC News, Singapore

Here in Singapore there's been a second wave of panic buying overnight. The photos of empty shelves and long queues - last seen in February - are back.

It looks to have been sparked by Malaysia's new restrictions banning its citizens from travelling overseas from 18 March until 31 March.

Singapore relies on Malaysia for some key essential goods like eggs and vegetables, as well as for an army of delivery drivers and other workers who cross the border every day.

But the government, perhaps anticipating the new spurt of panic buying, has moved quickly to reassure people.

A WhatsApp message from the government late last night said Singapore was not facing any immediate shortages of food or essentials. And that work had been done in the last two months to diversify the country's sources of produce and other items.

With clubs and music venues shut in much of Europe and the US, concerts and tours have largely had to be cancelled. So what now? Head to Youtube and rewatch last year's concert? No need - plenty of musicians are organising live stream concerts.

Here's one from Coldplay singer Chris Martin. He says he and his bandmates are stuck in different countries and can't get together to play.

Jonathan Head
BBC South East Asia Correspondent

The sudden rise in coronavirus infections in several South-east Asian countries has dimmed hopes that warmer weather might slow the spread in this region.

Malaysia recorded the sharpest rise on Monday, 190 new infections, bringing the total to 428. The new government has imposed the strictest lockdown in the region, banning Malaysians from travelling overseas and foreign visitor entry, closing all schools, universities, places of worship and most businesses for two weeks.

Thailand saw sharp rises over the weekend to a total of 147 cases.

In both Malaysia and Thailand new infection spikes are being linked to specific mass gatherings of people.

It's hard to tell whether you might have been infected by the virus - or whether it's just a common cold.

Here are the key symptoms - if you have any of these, you should consult a doctor.

Please note that depending on which country you live in, you might be asked not to directly go to a doctor's practice or clinic but rather contact them by phone first.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton tested positive last Friday.

The Chinese city of Wuhan - where the coronavirus outbreak first began - will now require anyone returning from overseas to be centrally quarantined for 14 days at their own cost. The measure will start on Tuesday, according to a note by the city epidemic control team on their website.

At the height of the outbreak in China, Wuhan was the first place to be placed under lockdown, restricting millions to their homes.

China's new infections have dropped significantly and the country's main concern is now that people travelling into the country will reimport the virus.

Hundreds of prisoners broke out of prison in Brazil on Monday, the day before new measures were to kick in which would have cut their day-release privileges.

According to Reuters, local media report that more than 1,000 inmates fled from four different prisons ahead of lockdown.

The latest celebrity to be infected is Game of Thrones fan favourite Tormund.

Kristofer Hivju, the Norwegian actor who played Jon Snow's pal in the hugely successful fantasy series, confirmed on Instagram he has tested positive and is now self-isolating with his family.

"We are in good health - I only have mild symptoms of a cold," he writes, but warns that others should be very careful.

"There are people at higher risk for who this virus might be a devastating diagnosis, so I urge all of you to be extremely careful; wash your hands, keep 1.5 meters distance from others, go in quarantine; just do everything you can to stop the virus from spreading."

Coronavirus has plunged the world into uncertainty and the constant news about the pandemic can feel relentless.

All of this is taking its toll on people's mental health, particularly those already living with conditions like anxiety and OCD.

So what can we do?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has shared advice on protecting your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak.

Some of the recommendations include:

• avoid watching, reading or listening to news that could cause you to feel anxious or distressed
• seek information mainly to take practical steps to prepare your plans and protect yourself and loved ones
• Seek information updates at specific times during the day once or twice. The sudden near-constant stream of news reports about an outbreak can cause anyone to feel worried

India's iconic monument Taj Mahal has shut down to halt the spread of the coronavirus, officials say.

The culture ministry said tens of thousands visit the "monument of love" every day and it was "imperative to shut it down".

The Taj Mahal is one of the world's leading tourist attractions, and draws as many as 70,000 people every day.

India has 114 cases of Covid-19 and two related deaths. It has tested 6,000 people so far for the infection.

Image source, Getty Images

"This is an amazing opportunity for me to do something."

Jennifer is a 43-year-old mother-of-two in Seattle, who is one of the first people to volunteer for human trials of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Four patients received the jab at the Kaiser Permanente research facility in the US city, reports the Associated Press news agency.

The vaccine cannot cause Covid-19 but contains a harmless genetic code copied from the virus that causes the disease. But it will be months before scientists know whether it will work.