Until a few weeks ago in the UK, isolating yourself and distancing yourself from other people were seen as unusual, even a sign of being unwell. Now, they've become essential measures to stem the spread of the virus.

The two are not quite the same. Social distancing involves cutting down on non-essential travel and interactions, staying home if you're unwell, and not visiting social venues.

Self-isolation means you basically have to cut yourself off entirely from the outside world – here’s how to do it.

Good morning,

A lot has happened in the past 24 hours as the world tries to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic.

Here is an overview of the latest key developments:

• China reported no new domestically transmitted cases in the country for the first time since the virus emerged in late December
• The lockdown in the Chinese city of Wuhan could be lifted once there are no new cases for 14 days, the China Daily newspaper reports
• Hokkaido, the worst-affected Japanese region, is lifting its state of emergency after officials said the spread of the virus appeared to be ending
• China is among several Asian countries facing a second coronavirus wave, spurred by people importing it from outside
• Australia and New Zealand closed their borders to foreigners, the latest countries to do so worldwide
• The European Central Bank (ECB) launched an emergency €750bn ($820bn; £700bn) package to ease the impact of the coronavirus pandemic
• Donald Trump called himself a “war-time president” as he enacted powers to ramp up production of vital medical supplies
• In the UK, schools and dozens of London Underground stations are to be shut

Also, should you have any questions about coronavirus, we're running a separate live page, where BBC experts are offering their expertise. You can visit the live page here.

Image source, Reuters

Simon Atkinson
BBC News, Sydney

Australia’s absolute ban on foreign travellers from Friday night is a dramatic step – but one Prime Minister Scott Morrison said was crucial to slow the spread of Covid-19.

Earlier travel bans – and the prospect of quarantine for those who were allowed in - had already reduced travel to Australia to one-third of normal levels.

But stopping all but Australian citizens and residents entering the country will soon cut international arrivals to a trickle – mainly Aussies abroad heeding government advice to head home as soon as possible.

Qantas has agreed to keep services going from key locations to enable those repatriations, the PM said.

“About 80% of the cases we have in Australia are either the results of someone who has contracted the virus overseas or someone who has had direct contact with someone who has returned from overseas," Mr Morrison added.

"So, the overwhelming proportion of cases in Australia have been imported.”

Is it safe to swim in a public pool? If you recover from coronavirus are you immune? And how long does the virus stay active on surfaces?

Our experts are answering your key questions throughout the day, whether that be online, live on TV or on radio.

So far we've received more than 50,000 questions from the public since the coronavirus outbreak started.

To get in touch with your question, email YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk or tweet us using the hashtag #BBCYourQuestions

To read some of the answers, click here.

BBC Breakfast

UK Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has been speaking about the decision to close all schools after Friday.

According to what he told BBC Breakfast:

• A list of key workers - some of whom will be asked to still attend schools - will be announced "later on today"
• NHS staff, some school workers and delivery drivers are some of those likely to be included in the list
• More details about qualifications and grades will be released tomorrow
• The UK is working to issue grades by August, as normal, but Mr Williamson cannot give a "total guarantee" that this target will be met
• Exams are "the best system" to grade students but this year they will be awarded "under a different system"
• Pupils and students will be given a "proper and thorough appeal process"
• There needs to be support for parents
• About 10% of children will be kept in schools, which will be asked to "work together" to provide places

He described the situation as "heartbreaking" but the new measures were designed to help stop the spread of this virus.

As an education secretary, I would never have wanted, or believed I'd have been in (such) a position, to make this decision," he added.

People in Brazil have taken to their balconies with pots and pans to express anger at President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Millions of protesters in the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro appeared at windows on Wednesday evening calling for the president to step down. It was the biggest protest against Mr Bolsonaro's government to date.

Mr Bolsonaro, who has previously dismissed precautions taken against the novel coronavirus as "hysteria" and "fantasy", has been criticised for his response to the deadly outbreak.

The president has been tested for the virus twice, but said on both occasions the results were negative. However 14 people who travelled with him to Florida to meet President Trump have tested positive for the virus.

At Wednesday's press conference, the government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance offered some insight into the reasons behind the move.

He stressed that schools were not dangerous places but that the move could help "put some breaks" on the spread of the outbreak in a bid to protect the NHS and most vulnerable.

Image source, PA Media

“Right from the beginning (of the outbreak), we said schools are one of the things you can do, but they are less important than some of the other (measures) that have been taken," he said.

"But we now think we’re at a stage where this extra bit is an important measure to make sure we stay under that critical protecting the NHS and ICU capacity."

The move was not taken because schools are dangerous for children or teachers, he said. Adding: "Children have a very mild or asymptomatic version of this disease in many case. So they are the least at risk."

But he said closing schools can help "put some breaks in the system of the transmission of this disease" in order to help "protect those people who might get the much more serious version and end up in intensive care or on a ventilator”.

Shaimaa Khalil
BBC News, Sydney

Australian PM Scott Morrison insists that schools here will remain open, citing health advice.

He adds that closing schools will hurt the economy and put pressure on health workers to stay at home to care for children.

But growing numbers of parents are choosing to keep children home - it's up to 30% of students in some areas, local media have said.

"My son’s school is getting emptier by the day," says Omneya, a mother of two in Sydney.

She tells me she is very anxious about them going, especially because they take public transport: "I just pray as they go out every morning. What else can I do?"

In Bega, a New South Wales town, the independent Mumbulla School has turned to remote education.

"The [government] advice has been to keep schools open, keep children coming but to practise social distancing," says its education manager, Reagan White.

"You can't expect a child to interact with their friend or teacher and stand a metre-and-a-half to two metres apart. It’s impossible."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

... is Antarctica. The countless penguins aside, there are also several teams of international researchers on the continent. So far, no infections or symptoms.

British researchers have to undergo a 14-day quarantine before they can even depart to the southern continent and there are contingency plans for what to do should supply lines to the various stations be disrupted.

Throughout the year there are more than 1,000 researchers from different countries on Antarctica. The closest hospital with an intensive care unit is thousands of miles away in Chile.

As life changes for people in the UK, so will the BBC.

More of its programmes, including The One Show, will focus on the coronavirus outbreak, the corporation has announced.

Some of the BBC's programming changes include:

• A weekly prime-time coronavirus special will be broadcast on Wednesdays on BBC One
• There will be a daily edition of the coronavirus podcast
• Radio 5 Live will host regular phone-ins on coronavirus
• The One Show will be used as a consumer programme for all aspects of the crisis, including health and wellbeing advice
• A daytime programme on BBC One - Health Check UK Live - will directly address the concerns of viewers in isolation
• Educational programming for school children will be increased
• A virtual church service on Sunday mornings will be launched across local radio in England
• Newsround bulletins for children will remain on air throughout the day on CBBC
• The BBC's online output will continue

ITV will also broadcast news specials and suspend some planned entertainment shows including The Voice UK.

You can read more about the changes here.

Image source, Getty Images

Trans States Airlines is closing nine months earlier than planned to become the second airline to wind up during the coronavirus outbreak after UK carrier Flybe.

TSA was due to do so at the end of the year due to consolidation and a pilot shortage. But it has decided to shut its doors next month as travel demand dries up due to coronavirus travel restrictions.

"It's difficult to articulate or even comprehend the speed at which the coronavirus has changed our industry and our world," president of Trans States Holdings, Rick Leach, wrote in a memo to employees this week. "The immediate cuts to our schedule are far deeper than we feared."

Trans State Airlines operates flights for United Airlines from Denver, Chicago and St. Louis.

"We knew that the wind-down would be accelerated, but were confident that we could continue to fly for United for some months,” he added.

TSA provides feeder services to more than 80 cities in North America with about 240 daily flights, according to travel data firm Cirium.

Image source, Getty Images

A man suspected of having coronavirus in south-eastern Kenya was beaten up by a group of youths and later died in hospital.

Local police chief Nehemiah Bitok confirmed the death to the BBC and said no arrests had been made so far and investigations were under way.

He said the attackers had accused the victim of having coronavirus.

The attack took place in the fishing village of Msambweni in Kwale county, an area on the coast popular with tourists because of its sandy, white beaches.

According to Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper, external, the man was attacked on his way home at around 21:00 local time on Tuesday (1800 GMT) after he had been out drinking.

Kenya's health ministry has so far confirmed seven cases of coronavirus.

The East African nation has imposed strict travel restrictions on foreigners, closed learning institutions and banned public gatherings.

More on coronavirus:

• Why washing hands is difficult in some countries

Good morning,

There was plenty for people in the UK to digest on Wednesday.

Here's a quick guide to some of the latest developments.

• The UK is to shut all schools but some will need to look after the children of “key workers”. We don't know exactly who these people are yet
• In response, schools and universities are calling for urgent clarity over exams and qualifications
• The move came as the UK death toll rose by 33 to 104 on Wednesday, with 676 newly confirmed cases
• Meanwhile, supermarkets have limited the number of items shoppers can buy in a bid to protect supplies
• The government has announced plans to increase testing to 25,000 people a day in hospitals. Read more about the plans here
• Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the UK will bring forward emergency legislation to protect private renters from eviction
• At a press conference on Wednesday, he also said he would not rule out imposing further restrictions in London - the worst-hit city
• Dozens of London Underground stations are set to be shut
• The Army is preparing to provide support during the pandemic
• And emergency laws will be introduced in Parliament later to provide new powers to deal with the outbreak. You can read more about these here

So, what next? Our health correspondent Nick Triggle has taken a look at what could follow.

A hedge fund manager in Hong Kong has apologised after a parody video of him licking his finger and wiping it on a train's handrail went viral.

Joel Werner said the video was only intended "for a handful of friends" and was meant to "make light of the Covid-19 situation".

He added that he had used hand sanitiser before and after touching the pole.

Hong Kong has 192 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Image source, KCNA

There’s one country where we basically don’t know anything about the virus situation: North Korea. There are no official statistics from within the sealed-off country but news trickling out does suggest there are cases, says Oliver Hotham of NK News.

“It’s reasonable to assume that they are confined to the border provinces though,” he explains.

How can we assume the capital Pyongyang doesn’t have widespread cases? Earlier this week, state officials including leader Kim Jong-un attended the groundbreaking for a new hospital and none of them wore masks.

But state media are reporting a lot on the restrictions at the border and there are health and safety campaigns over the threat. Officials and citizens that don’t follow the rules are publicly chastised.

If the virus were to hit the country hard, the situation would be a disaster, Hotham says. For one, Covid-19 requires special diagnostic equipment the country can’t get hold of - but there’s another point. A much larger part of the population would probably be vulnerable. Underlying health issues like tuberculosis, malnutrition and heavy smoking would mean that younger people may also be at risk.

On the other hand, North Korea has an advanced security apparatus and a huge military that would make it easy to lock down affected areas. Essentially, people's movements are limited and restricted even at normal times.

"The real challenge will be in the border region with China," Mr Hotham warns. "There's a lot of corruption there and the border is very porous."

Schools and universities in the UK are calling for urgent clarity from the government after the announcement that GSCEs and A-Levels in England and Wales will be cancelled.

Decisions are due to be made shortly in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Universities UK said pupils should not lose the chance to go to university this year because of the move.

Schools across the UK are to close on Friday.

Some will be kept open with a skeleton staff to provide support for the children of key workers - such as NHS staff, police and delivery drivers - Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

For many working parents, the closures will present issues surrounding childcare (this was one of the reasons why the government delayed closures as long as possible).

Some may need to take time off work, raising concerns that some families will struggle financially.

Mr Johnson's announcement came as UK deaths reached 104 after a further 33 people died.

• UK schools, colleges and nurseries to close
• What will happen now?

Image source, Getty Images

There have been more than 900 confirmed cases of coronavirus in London - where the virus is spreading faster than in other parts of the UK.

When Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged people to work from home and to avoid bars, pubs and restaurants earlier this week, it led to a sudden drop in passenger numbers on the London Underground network.

Now, up to 40 London Underground stations are to be shut as the city attempts to reduce the effect of the coronavirus outbreak.

Transport for London (TfL) has announced that there will be a partial shutdown of the network from Thursday morning.

Additionally, there will be no night Tube and bus services will also be reduced, TfL said.

The stations on the closure list are:

• Bakerloo Line: Lambeth North, Regents Park, Warwick Avenue, Kilburn Park, Charing Cross
• Central Line: Holland Park, Queensway, Lancaster Gate, Chancery Lane, Redbridge
• Circle Line: Bayswater, Great Portland Street, Barbican
• District Line: Bow Road, Stepney Green, Mansion House, Temple, St James's Park, Gloucester Road
• Jubilee Line: Swiss Cottage, St John's Wood, Bermondsey, Southwark
• Northern Line: Tuffnell Park, Chalk Farm, Mornington Crescent, Goodge Street, Borough, Clapham South, Tooting Bec, South Wimbledon, Hampstead
• Piccadilly Line: Caledonian Road, Arsenal, Covent Garden, Hyde Park Corner, Bounds Green, Manor House
• Victoria Line: Pimlico, Blackhorse Road

TfL has advised passengers to check the website , externalfor live updates.

TFL also sent out a tweet at about 05:30 listing some stations marked as "closure".

They are Arsenal; Barbican; Borough, Bounds Green; Bow Road; Covent Garden; Goodge St; Hampstead and Manor House.

But do check as this list could change.

If you're just joining us in the UK or elsewhere in Europe - good morning, and welcome to our live coverage of these unusual times.

We're writing from Singapore and London to keep you up to date through the day. Most of us are working from our homes.

So here's what you might have missed from Asia's day so far.

• China says it didn't have a single domestic new infection yesterday, that's a major milestone for the country where the outbreak started. China is now focusing on travellers from overseas who might bring the virus back.
• Other Asian countries like Singapore or South Korea are seeing a resurgence of new cases though.
• Australia and New Zealand are shutting their borders to all non-residents.
• In the US, President Trump has signed a $100bn package to cover testing and sick leave.
• Asian markets are sliding despite the bailout promises from around the world.
• The global number: More than 200,000 people have been infected although many have already recovered. The death toll stands at more than 8,000 worldwide.

Singapore's use of an extensive contact tracing system to track down those who came into contact with an infected person has been praised by Harvard epidemiologists who described it as a "gold standard of near-perfect detection".

Read more about it here from the BBC's Karishma Vaswani.