Image source, Getty Images

More and more people are wearing masks on the streets of cities across the globe.

A microbiologist from the University of Hong Kong has even called for people who don't wear face masks to be banned from using public transport there, in light of a surge in the number of imported cases of Covid-19.

But the WHO's guidance on face masks, external still stands (despite all the pressure you might be feeling to wear them on the street):

• If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with suspected 2019-nCoV infection
• Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing
• Masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water
• If you wear a mask, then you must know how to use it and dispose of it properly

In January, Dr David Carrington, of St George's, University of London, told BBC News "routine surgical masks for the public are not an effective protection against viruses or bacteria carried in the air", which was how "most viruses" were transmitted, because they were too loose, had no air filter and left the eyes exposed.

But they could help lower the risk of contracting a virus through the "splash" from a sneeze or a cough and provide some protection against hand-to-mouth transmissions.

Here's the original piece.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Members of the UK Parliament have said they are concerned about the weekly Prime Minister's Questions due to take place at 12:00GMT today.

MPs have told BBC Radio 5 Live's Emma Barnett that the PMQs session - which attracts hundreds in the House of Commons at Westminster - should adapt to social-distancing measures.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has advised the public to avoid large crowds.

Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow minister for security, said: "I have concerns as well, I am not sure how long this can continue. There are ways around this where you can still hold the government to account."

The Scottish National Party said its MPs would try to spread out across the green benches.

Conservative MP Michael Fabricant tweeted to say the party's whips had asked that only those chosen to ask Mr Johnson a question should sit in the chamber.

Share prices have fallen again in Europe and Asia, with markets unimpressed by government stimulus packages designed to counter the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The main exchanges in London, Frankfurt and Paris fell 4% in early trading.

Across much of the European Union, border restrictions are in place, suspending the free movement of people.

Wall Street's main indexes rebounded by more than 5% on Tuesday following Monday's steep falls.

In the US, the Trump administration outlined a $1 trillion (£830bn) package to support the world's biggest economy.

Read more from our business reporters here, including an explanation of why stock market performances might affect your life and finances.

These are tough times. But our reporter in Sydney says some organisations there are lightening up people's days - and nights - with livestreams (broadcasting video over the internet).

You can access Sydney Observatory's virtual star-gazing night tour via its Facebook page, external .

Mark Savage
Music reporter, BBC News

Glastonbury's famous Pyramid Stage will remain dark in June, as the festival becomes the latest event to be cancelled due to coronavirus.

Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar were due to headline, alongside Diana Ross and Dua Lipa.

Just six days ago, organiser Emily Eavis said she had "fingers firmly crossed" the event would go ahead.

But after the government advised people to avoid mass gatherings, cancellation became increasingly likely.

Many readers in the UK have told us that they haven't been able to find hand sanitiser here in the shops. We've reported on how a gin distillery in Scotland is planning to produce alcohol-based hand sanitiser after it was approached by local care partnerships - and now beer brand BrewDog says it's launched a similar effort.

"To help with the shortages, we have just started working on making hand sanitiser at our distillery in Scotland. We are determined to do everything we can to try and help as many people as possible stay safe.It's time to keep it clean," it wrote on Instagram.

BrewDog said it is giving the product to those who need it without charge.

The main symptoms of the coronavirus disease include a cough, high temperature and breathing difficulties.

It takes five days on average to start showing the symptoms, scientists have said, but some people will get symptoms much later than this.

The best way to protect yourself is regular and thorough hand-washing,, external preferably with soap and water.

Coronavirus spreads when an infected person coughs small droplets - packed with the virus - into the air. These can be breathed in, or cause an infection if you touch a surface they have landed on then your eyes, nose or mouth.

So, coughing and sneezing into tissues, not touching your face with unwashed hands, and avoiding close contact with infected people are important for limiting the spread.

There's a full article by our health correspondent here.

Image source, Getty Images

Changes to the way the UK chooses who is tested for coronavirus have been controversial.

A new policy means only those in hospital or in a residential care setting will have access the screening as testing in Britain ramps up.

But doctors within the National Health Service say they are desperate to be tested themselves so that any symptoms they - or those they live with - have can be ruled out as Covid-19.

Iszy Lord, 25, works at a hospital in Grimsby and lives with five other doctors - they are all self-isolating for 14 days after some of them returned from a ski trip and developed symptoms.

She told the BBC: "We’re young and fit whereas our colleagues are much older. We’re just the sort of people who should be working in hospital right now.

“The potential implications for self-isolating people without testing are huge. What’s going to happen if anyone gets anything resembling a cold for the next few months, are we going to have to self-isolate for 14 days each time? It’s alarming.

“The NHS is busy and overstretched. If we are tested and don’t have the virus, we could be back at work in 2-3 days rather than two weeks."

Image source, Getty Images

Filming for popular UK soap operas has been suspended following the latest government measures to curb coronavirus.

The BBC said production on EastEnders, Casualty, Doctors, Holby City, Welsh drama Pobol y Cwm and BBC Scotland's River City will all be halted.

Meanwhile EastEnders' episodes will now just air on Mondays at 8pm and Tuesdays at 7:30pm with immediate effect. This is to make the existing recorded episodes last as long as possible.

Our entertainment news team has the full story here.

Image source, CCTV

Back to China now, and it seems like not every leader is following the no handshake rule, as Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Pakistani counterpart Arif Alvi were pictured shaking hands in Beijing.During their meeting, Mr Alvi said “some forces” were using the outbreak to stigmatise and isolate China, but they would not succeed.

Adam Easton
Warsaw Correspondent

Traffic queues at Poland’s border crossings are stretching for up to 50km with some people having to wait for more than 24 hours following the introduction of checks at midnight on Saturday to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Foreigners are temporarily banned from entering the country and returning Polish citizens must be quarantined for 14 days. Border guards wearing protective suits and face masks are taking the temperature of everyone crossing the border.

Thousands of foreigners are leaving Poland to return home – on Monday, 8,500 left, mostly Ukrainian migrant workers – and thousands of Poles are trying to get back in.

And then there’s the trucks. The borders are still open to goods, but the authorities did not create special lanes for truck drivers to cross, so everyone is stuck in one line. They are now trying to do so following a request from the European Commission.

At the crossing in Jedrzychowice on the German border this morning, people in cars are waiting up to 16 hours and truck drivers up to 30 hours, according to Poland’s Border Guard.

People have been stuck in their vehicles overnight, many with nothing to eat or drink and with no access to toilets. Volunteers have been taking people water, hot drinks, fruit and sandwiches.

Image source, Getty Images

A warm welcome if you're just joining us - particularly if you're reading this in isolation.

Here's the latest on what's happening in Europe this morning:

• An EU travel ban for non-EU citizens has come into force, and the first travellers - who landed in Frankfurt from Turkey this morning - have been turned away at the border.
• In Poland, there's reportedly a 40km traffic queue at the border as people rush to get back home.
• Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, has admitted that political leaders initially "underestimated" the virus. In an interview with German newspaper Bild, she also said: "We understand that measures that seemed drastic two or three weeks ago, need to be taken now."
• People in Belgium have been told to stay at home from midday (11:00 GMT) - but are allowed to go to banks, grocery stores, and for runs and bike rides.
• Russian schools are going to have a three-week holiday from Monday, and Swedish high schools have closed.
• German car companies Volkswagen, Opel and Daimler have shut down their plants in response to the virus.
• Italy and France are cracking down on people who violate the lockdowns in their respective countries. France is bringing in fines of up to €375 after thousands were found to have gone out without their required permits.
• Most public transport in Ukraine is shutting down, and only buses and trams are allowed in cities.
• King Felipe VI of Spain is going to address the nation tonight at 21:00 (20:00 GMT).

Luke Reddy
BBC Sport

Olympic organisers have warned "no solution will be ideal" in preparing for Tokyo 2020 after being accused of putting athletes "in danger".

The summer showpiece is scheduled to begin on 24 July despite the relentless cancellation of sporting events as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi said the International Olympic Committee was "risking our health".

Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson said training had become "impossible".

More

Image source, EPA

Here’s an update from our Middle East desk:

Iran - which is the country in the region hardest hit so far, with almost 1,000 deaths reported - is considering whether to free Americans detained there “as a humanitarian gesture”, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday. The detainees were at risk of being infected with the Covid-19 virus in Iran’s crowded jails, he warned. He spoke after the British-Iranian charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was temporarily released for two weeks.

In Iraq, a seven-day curfew has begun in the capital, Baghdad, as the authorities struggle to contain of the spread of the virus which has claimed nine lives there. However, there were reports on Wednesday morning of groups of Shia Muslim pilgrims walking in the streets in an attempt to reach the shrine of the revered Imam Mousa al-Kadhim, which is in the Kadhimiya area. The lockdown coincides with an annual commemoration of the imam’s death.

The authorities in Israel have reported 427 confirmed cases of Covid-19 - up 27% from Tuesday. This is believed to be because testing has been stepped up. The Magen David Adom ambulance service had planned to open its first 24-hour “drive through” testing station in Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning. However, that has been delayed by a shortage of testing kits and swaps, according to Channel 13 television. People have already been told to stay at home except for essential tasks like buying food and medicine.

Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday night that it would convene a virtual summit next week of the leaders of the G20 group of major economies to discuss the pandemic. The leaders “will put forward a co-ordinated set of policies to protect people and safeguard the global economy".

Simon Atkinson
BBC News, Sydney

Image source, Getty Images

It’s not just real life that is being turned upside down by the pandemic in Australia.

Things have gone very quiet in Erinsborough too.

Filming of soap opera Neighbours - which on Wednesday marked 35 years on our screens - has been temporarily halted.

It’s understood a member of the crew was in contact off-set with somebody later confirmed as having the virus.

Fremantle, the production firm behind the show, said:

“Neighbours has decided to take a short break this week to ensure the production model in place can withstand any potential impact of the current Covid-19 situation. Today, all cast and crew met to discuss this issue as a result of a specific concern about the pandemic.

“The health and well-being of everyone on the set of Neighbours will always be our priority.”

Production is set to resume next week.

US newspapers have hit out at China's decision to expel at least 13 of their reporters.

The journalists, who are US citizens, carried out in-depth reporting on the coronavirus epidemic in China when it was still in its early stages.

They work for the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.

The New York Times said it was a grave mistake for China to cut itself off, while the Wall Street Journal called the expulsion an unprecedented attack on press freedom.

China said they would expel the reporters in response to restrictions placed on Chinese journalists working in the US.

Image source, Getty Images

More from India now, and the country's foreign ministry says more than 200 of its citizens have contracted Covid-19 in other countries.

This includes a group of 255 Indians who are in Iran, a spokesman told parliament.

Those infected with the coronavirus are not allowed to travel, and so will have to be treated in the countries they are currently in.

India has suspended most visas for foreigners and banned all travel from several countries including the UK, EU and Malaysia in an effort to curb the spread of the virus.

The health ministry says there are 130 active cases of Covid-19 in the country, but public health officials warn the country has tested far too few people.

Theo Leggett
BBC International Business Correspondent

Toyota has announced that it is suspending production at its European plants, including its factory at Burnaston in Derbyshire and its engine facility in Deeside.

Together the two UK plants employ some 3,000 people. Staff will be put on paid leave. They are expected to stop work after the completion of the day shift today, and remain inactive until further notice, a period that is expected to last for at least the next two weeks.

BMW has announced similar steps, winding down production at its European plants, as well as at a facility in South Africa.

BMW has a total of 6,000 manufacturing staff in the UK. It operates a Mini factory near Oxford, as well as plants in Swindon and Hams Hall and makes Rolls Royce cars at Goodwood.

Both companies cited the fall in car sales due to the Covid-19 outbreak, difficulty obtaining parts due to disruption to their supply chains and a desire to protect staff and their families from the virus.

Image source, Getty Images

One of the key measures missing from the UK government's financial response to the coronavirus (announced yesterday) was support for renters.

People who don't own the home they live in are - for the moment - still not exempt from paying rent to landlords, despite the government announcing a policy of mortgage holidays for owners.

Now Business Secretary Alok Sharma has told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the government will announce measures to help renters "very shortly".

"The chancellor said very clearly yesterday at the despatch box... we are looking very actively at this, the housing secretary will be coming forward again very shortly to set out measures of how we will support renters," he said.

Police in the south Indian state of Kerala are doing their bit as the Indian government pulls out all the stops to try and curb the spread of coronavirus. The state's chief minister shared this video of six masked, dancing policemen showing people the WHO-prescribed hand-washing technique: