M Ilyas Khan
BBC News, Islamabad

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has cancelled the semi-finals and final of the hugely popular Pakistan Super League Five, saying the matches will be rescheduled later.

The two semi-finals were to be played in Lahore today while the final was scheduled for tomorrow.

On Friday the PCB decided to ban spectators from stadiums where the matches were being played, citing the need for social distancing. PCB also shortened the schedule, replacing playoff matches with semifinals and bringing up dates of semi-finals and the final.

It also allowed the foreign players to pull out of the matches or leave the country if they so wished. At least 14 foreign players had then decided to quit, rubbing the shine off of the league.

Image source, AFP/Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Thousands of people are likely to be working from home for the first time this week due to the coronavirus outbreak. For others, it's just like any other week.

About 1.5 million people work from home, and it's becoming more popular all the time.

So if you're not self-isolating, but have been told to work remotely, what's the best way to stay efficient and keep your spirits up?

Well, you start by getting dressed and settling down to read this article.

Michelle Roberts
Health editor, BBC News online

Cleaning of offices and public transport has been stepped up but as yet the government is not advising disinfecting streets.

It is unclear how much of a difference this would make in stopping the spread of the virus. A far more important measure is making sure you wash your hands often.

If you have a question you want the BBC to answer email YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk or tweet using the hashtag #BBCYourQuestions, external.

It's been more than a month since the majority of Germany's Big Brother contestants entered the house.

In early February the first cases of coronavirus outside of Wuhan were just being reported.

Now Germany has close to 7,000 confirmed infections, with 14 deaths - but the housemates have no idea a global pandemic has been declared.

They'll finally be informed on Tuesday night in a live TV special, after "consultation with relatives".

It comes after criticism on social media that broadcaster SAT.1 hadn't told the 14 men and women locked inside the house in Cologne about what was going on outside.

On top of that, four new residents who joined the show on 9 March were told not to talk about coronavirus.

Read more here.

Image source, Reuters

In an unusual step, Belgium's King Philippe made a televised address to the country on Monday night, calling on all Belgians to follow government advice to help contain the spread of coronavirus.

“Our country is facing an unprecedented health crisis on a global scale,” the King said. “Our attitude in this is essential, and can save lives.”

He also thanked doctors and nurses for their work on those affected.

“The current situation reminds us of our vulnerability, but at the same time it brings out our strength,” said King Philip, adding that the outbreak “will make us stronger.”

Over 1,000 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Belgium. Schools and universities have been closed around the country, and from Saturday restaurants and bars will only be allowed to open for takeaway services.

Maddy Savage
BBC News, Stockholm

Sweden’s government has advised all high schools (for students aged over 16) and universities to close from Wednesday, with teachers urged to arrange online lessons so that students can keep up with their work.

Schools for younger children have not yet been asked to shut, but the Prime Minister Stefan Löfven has told a press conference he will monitor the situation.

Bus passengers in Stockholm have been advised by the city’s transport operator to get on board using side doors, rather than at the front, to reduce contact between the public and drivers.

New guidelines from Sweden’s Public Health Agency on Monday urged workers in the Swedish capital to stay at home and work remotely if they can, with evidence that the virus is spreading more rapidly in Stockholm than elsewhere in the country.

Sweden has not taken the decision to close pubs, cafes or restaurants.

Image source, Getty Images

From Spain to the US, governments are taking action to try to reduce the spread of the virus. As well as limiting international travel, some countries are also trying to restrict movement within their own borders and stopping people mixing in public.

Health policy and human rights experts warn countries face a difficult balance between protecting public health and infringing on personal freedoms.

So how are countries enforcing measures including quarantine and lockdown?

Read more here.

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

Yesterday, we had the package to try and minimise the health risk. Today is going to be the economic measures to keep UK business turning over.

We are going to get a news conference later, fronted by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak, where he is expected to set out what amounts to an economic rescue package.

It will be focused on two particular sectors - travel and leisure - as for them there has been a catastrophic drop off in demand.

There is some anger too, particularly from the hospitality sector, as rather than being ordered to close, people have simply been advised not to go to them - making it much harder for businesses to claim insurance.

But bluntly, trying to kick-start demand for these sectors isn't going to work when people have been told do not go there.

So really, you are looking at measures to keep them on life support to get them through this crisis.

I expect what you will see from the chancellor today will go way beyond the £12bn package we saw in the budget last week - things like tax relief grants, loans, business rate holidays.

It will have to be a much more dramatic and extensive package because, as business leaders have said, we are going under unless you act now.

If you're just tuning into our coverage now, welcome. Here are the top things you need to know:

• The EU is planning to ban all non-essential travel through the Schengen free-travel zone
• In France, people are getting used to the toughest measures in Europe - they'll be hit with a fine if they are outside without good reason
• The European Commission says more than 120bn euros ($130bn) have been pledged to economies within the bloc
• In the UK, new financial measures aimed at helping the economy through the outbreak are set to be announced by the government
• In the US, Amazon has announced that it's recruiting an additional 100,000 warehouse and delivery
• Car maker VW says the company plans to shut down a number of its European plants before the end of the week

• And China has reacted angrily to a tweet from President Trump that described the coronavirus as "Chinese"

Some Iranians have tried to force their way into the Shrine of Fatima in Qom after it was temporarily closed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Outspoken MP Ali Motahhori called for their prosecution, stressing that apart from the health threat, they had defamed Islam.

Experts expressed concern at the start of the outbreak about the decision not to close the Shia Muslim shrine, which is visited by millions of pilgrims every year.The shrine's custodian, Ayatollah Mohammed Saeedi, said at the time that it should be kept open as a "house for cure" and that "people should be encouraged to come".

Iran’s death toll has reached 853 and a total of 14,991 people have been confirmed infected, making it the third most affected country after China and Italy.

A GP and mother who is expecting another child has spoken about the difficulties of self-isolating due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Punam Krishan, from Glasgow, was reacting after the UK government's chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty said pregnant women were among a group of people who should take "particular care to minimise their social contact".

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Dr Krishan questioned how expectant mothers who already have other children can do that effectively, especially with schools in the UK remaining open during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, Jonathan Van-Tam, spoke to BBC Breakfast about the guidance for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

He said the advice for pregnant women is "very precautionary" as "we don't have enough information on this disease yet".

Theo Leggett
BBC International Business Correspondent

The Chief Executive of the Volkswagen Group has confirmed that the company plans to shut down production temporarily at a number of its European plants before the end of the week.

Herbert Diess said the move had been prompted by problems obtaining parts and a fall in sales due to the coronavirus epidemic.

Among those closing are several Seat facilities in Spain, a factory in Portugal, and a major facility near the Slovak capital Bratislava. The company will also begin preparations to shut down other factories in Germany and elsewhere in Europe over the next two weeks. Mr Diess did not say whether this would include the group's flagship plant in its home town of Wolfsburg.

However, he added, production in China had resumed with the exception of two factories. On Monday, two other major car groups, PSA and Fiat Chrysler, also announced extensive short-term factory closures.

Image source, EPA

UK health officials said on Monday that coronavirus is spreading more rapidly in London than in other parts of the UK.

And today, Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, will join the government's emergency Cobra meeting for the first time.

He's been on TV this morning, talking about school closures ( see our earlier post), and he has also been discussing the logistics of life in the capital.

The city's transport network could be massively scaled back in the coming weeks, he told Good Morning Britain.

"What we may do over the course of the next few days is go to a Saturday or Sunday service during the week and then maybe even scale that down even more over the course of the next few days and weeks," he said.

But he added that a "basic public transport service" is needed for frontline workers including medics, firefighters and police officers.

London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, has been speaking about the measures introduced across the UK on Monday.

Speaking to Good Morning Britain, he said while the current advice was that there was little gain in closing schools, he said he thought that may change fairly soon.

"What we do know is some teachers may be pregnant, others may have underlying health issues, a child may have a persistent cough or temperature which means mum, dad, carer decides to withdraw the child.

"I wouldn't be surprised if, over the course of the two weeks before Easter, government advice changes."

Adam Easton
Warsaw Correspondent

Fifteen Polish government ministers are in quarantine following the announcement that the 29-year-old environment minister Michal Wos tested positive for coronavirus, the prime minister’s chief of staff, Michal Dworczyk, has said.

Mr Wos announced he tested positive on Monday evening. He said he was feeling well. The last meeting of the government took place on March 10.

According to Dworczyk, nine of 24 ministers were absent from that meeting, including prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki and health minister Lukasz Szumowski. The remaining ministers were tested on Monday evening and are in quarantine awaiting the results which should be known later today.

On Monday evening, Mr Szumowski said a peak in Covid-19 cases in Poland may occur in 2-3 weeks’ time. There have been 177 confirmed cases with four deaths.

Virma Simonette
Manila

There was confusion in the Philippines after presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo announced the “immediate” implementation of "enhanced community quarantine" on the whole island of Luzon on Monday afternoon.

It happened hours before President Rodrigo Duterte was set to address the nation. Police personnel and Swat teams immediately barred people from entering Quezon City, northeast of the Philippine capital Manila.

Workers residing in Metro Manila but working in the outskirts of the mega city tried to show their ID to police to gain entry but still waited for half an hour before they were allowed to enter.

England's deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, has been speaking about the measures announced by PM Boris Johnson last night.

On stay-at-home advice,he said new "strong advice" for the UK's "extremely vulnerable" will be coming in the next week or so. The over-70s, and those vulnerable irrespective of their age, would be asked to remain in their homes and ask friends or neighbours to do food shopping for them.

On testing, he said there were "significant moves afoot" to increase it, but it would be focused on where it would benefit the country "as a whole".

On the NHS, he said there was a "stockpile" of safety equipment for NHS staff who will be prioritised for testing so they are not needlessly kept away from frontline work.

On self-isolation, he said the 12-week rule applies to all those who would be given the flu jab, other than children.

More now on efforts to create a vaccine for the new coronavirus.

As we reported earlier, a group of healthy US volunteers have been injected with an experimental coronavirus vaccine, as part of a clinical trial.

The vaccine cannot cause Covid-19 but contains a harmless genetic code copied from the virus that causes the disease.

But experts say it will still take months to know if this vaccine will work.

Read more about the first human trial of the vaccine, here.

Image source, Getty Images