We now hear the number of confirmed cases across Africa has increased to around 850 - almost six times the number recorded just a week ago.

Countries across the continent have imposed a number of meausres in an effort to stem the spread of the virus - some, including Senegal and Tunisia, have suspended all religious gatherings.

David Shukman
Science editor, BBC News

Image source, Reuters

The UK government has always said it is relying on scientific advice to fight the pandemic, and the documents released on Friday (see our earlier entries) reveal the internal discussions of the scientists themselves.

One disagreement was over when to close schools. One of the documents spells out how different models came up with very different results for how much closures would reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Some said it would bring a reduction of between 20-60% while another suggested it would be 7.5-30%.

Other insights include the age for people to be considered at risk. The government’s advice is aimed at over 70 - but behind the scenes scientists have been discussing a threshold of 65.

And it’s clear that in developing the advice, there is a pessimistic view of how the British public will respond.

It’s assumed that only 50% of households will abide by the request to self-isolate if one member shows symptoms of the virus and that even this “may be unachievable”.

The scientists and the Home Office explored whether the measures would lead to public unrest but this was judged unlikely.

Countries around Asia are stepping up measures to try to stem the spread of the coronavirus:

• Pakistan's largest city Karachi has recorded its first Covid-19 death, bringing the country's total deaths to three. The man was 77, and a cancer survivor. Meanwhile, the army has set up a field hospital in Karachi's Expo Center, and the governor of Sindh province has hinted that a three-day lockdown may be brought in to combat the spread, according to Dawn newspaper, external
• Sri Lanka has now introduced a nationwide curfew which will last from Friday evening until Monday morning. Mosques have also been ordered to shut indefinitely. So far, 65 people have tested positive for the virus in the island nation
• A state of emergency has been declared in Indonesia's capital Jakarta. Entertainment venues - like spas, cinemas and bars - will be closed, according to Reuters news agency. The city of 10 million people has recorded 215 cases so far, with 18 deaths
• Meanwhile, Singapore has launched an app to help trace people who have passed within two metres of someone who picks up the infection. It's not compulsory, but the government is encouraging as many people as possible to download it

Image source, Reuters

A collective of UK-based Formula 1 teams and engine manufacturers are working with the UK government and other organisations in an attempt to increase the supply of ventilators during the coronavirus crisis.

They are discussing how they can help produce or support production of medical equipment, with F1 saying they hope to reach "a tangible outcome in the next few days".

"All the teams have expert design, technology and production capabilities, and specialise in rapid prototyping and high value manufacturing, which is hoped can be applied to the critical needs set out by government," F1 said., external

We may be washing our hands religiously these days but what about our phones and other devices which we handle all the time? Here's a quick guide on how to do a thorough wipe-down of your mobile, and what to use when cleaning it.

At least 35 people who attended a wedding in Australia have contracted coronavirus.

The wedding took place at Tumbling Waters Retreat, external in New South Wales on 6 March, according to ABC News.

A similar incident happened in Uruguay, with 44 guests contracting the virus from a guest, external who had been in Europe.

In the UK, couples who do not postpone their church wedding because of the coronavirus outbreak should only have two guests, the Church of England has said.

The Church has recommended the numbers attending ceremonies should be limited to the legal minimum of five people: the priest, the bride and groom, and two witnesses.

Many couples with forthcoming weddings are, however, opting to cancel.

British bride-to-be Jodie Crane told the BBC she felt relieved after making the very stressful decision.

"Three weeks ago we were worried about whether it would rain on our wedding day and then it turned to whether we would have a virus at our wedding that would potentially harm a lot of people," Ms Crane told Radio 1's Newsbeat.

Image source, Jodie Crane

Image source, Getty Images

The Liverpool football anthem You'll Never Walk Alone was broadcast by 180 radio stations across Europe this morning, including Slovenia's Val 202.

It's a defiant message of solidarity, as millions are cooped up at home in the coronavirus crisis.

But the BBC's Balkans correspondent ,Guy De Launey, says Slovenia has just told people officially that they should walk alone if they go outside, to avoid spreading the virus.

More on the advice being given by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) group to the UK government (see our 12:56 entry).

It says that “at least half of the year" would need to be spent using strict measures which include school closures and encouraging social distancing for everyone in society.

Less restrictive measures include: isolating cases, household isolation and social distancing just in vulnerable groups.

There would be a two-three week delay between measures being put into place and their impact being felt in intensive care.

The report also said it was "currently unclear" whether warmer weather would affect the spread of the virus.

And that the best estimate of the "infection fatality rate" (the proportion of people who die after being infected) is in the range of 0.5% to 1%.

You can read our full story here

Image source, Family photo / Go Fund Me

A New Jersey mother and her three adult children have died from coronavirus, and three more relatives are in hospital, after they had a family dinner together, according to US media.

Grace Fusco, 73, and three of her children died on Wednesday and Thursday. Three more of her children are now in hospital.

Nineteen family members are now self-isolating, according to family representative Paradiso Fodera, and have waited nearly a week to learn the results of their virus tests.

"Why don't the family members who are not hospitalised have the test results? This is a public health crisis," Ms Fodera told CNN, external. "Why should athletes and celebrities without symptoms be given priority over a family that has been decimated by this virus?"

James Gallagher
Health and science correspondent, BBC News

Research is happening at breakneck speed.

There are more than 20 vaccines in development.

One has begun human trials after unusually skipping any animal research to test either the safety or the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Other scientists are at the animal research stage and hope to get the results of human trials later in the year.

But even if scientists can celebrate having developed a vaccine this year, there is still the massive job of being able to mass-produce it.

It means, realistically, one would not be ready until at least the middle of next year.

All of this is happening on an unprecedented timescale and using new approaches to vaccines, so there are no guarantees everything will go smoothly.

Remember there are four coronaviruses that already circulate in human beings. They cause the common cold, and we don't have vaccines for any of them.

In China, where the coronavirus first appeared, industrial production, sales and investment all fell in the first two months of the year, compared with the same period in 2019.

And the country's industrial slowdown has been visible from space. Nasa said pollution-monitoring satellites had detected a significant drop in nitrogen dioxide over China, as the image below shows.

Evidence suggests that's "at least partly" due to the economic slowdown caused by the outbreak.

China makes up a third of manufacturing globally, and is the world's largest exporter of goods. The restrictions imposed there have affected the supply chains of big companies all around the world.

People in the UK - and many other parts of the world - have been told to avoid non-essential contact with others to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

With schools shutting and more people now working from home, many are feeling cut off from their everyday hobbies and social lives.

But the internet offers a means to stay connected and to keep us all entertained and educated through the days of isolation.

From workouts, cooking lessons and pub quizzes - here are just some of the ways people are using technology to lift their spirits.

• Ways to stay social online while in self-isolation

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon takes one final question from a journalist who says people have been in touch to say their urgent operations have been cancelled and asks if priorities have been changed in the health service to deal with the virus.

Ms Sturgeon replies: "We have been absolutely clear cancer treatment and urgent life-saving treatment should go ahead."

And there the briefing from Scotland ends.

Just 20 deaths and 600 cases have been confirmed across a continent of 1.2 billion people but the virus is still spreading:

• Tunisia confirmed its first death - a 72-year-old woman who died on Thursday night in hospital after being transferred from her home in the eastern resort city of Sousse. The country now has 39 confirmed cases. Seven people have died in Egypt, nine in Algeria, two in Morocco, one in Sudan and one in Burkina Faso

• In Kenya, a pastor was suspended from his church after saying coronavirus was a hoax
• In South Africa, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize projected that “South Africans could expect at least 60% of the population to be infected overall". He added that 24% of infections could be severe; the Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern over newly passed regulations that criminalise disinformation about the pandemic and could potentially prompt other countries to adopt more repressive rules and censorship
• Chad and Niger confirmed their first cases
• In Zimbabwe, President Emmerson Mnangagwa ordered the closure of all schools, colleges and universities by 24 March in a bid to control and minimise the outbreak. So far, no Covid-19 case has been confirmed
• In Ghana, the professional body of pharmacists warned against the use of alcoholic beverages as sanitisers. Many people have turned to the use of locally manufactured gin (akpeteshie) – which is said to contain 100% alcohol – to make up for the scarcity of sanitisers

Asked about UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's suggestion that the tide can be turned in 12 weeks, Nicola Sturgeon says she hopes he is right but adds: "None of us can stand here and say with certainty when we will be in a position to lift these measures."

Chief medical officer for Scotland Dr Catherine Calderwood reiterates the first minister's message to comply with medical advice.

"All of the scientific advice tell us these measures will be effective in slowing the spread of the virus," she says.

Policies to limit the spread of coronavirus would need to be in place for "at least most of a year" to prevent intensive care units being overwhelmed, according to official scientific advice to the government.

The documents, prepared by the UK's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said alternating between more and less strict measures could "plausibly be effective at keeping the number of critical care cases within capacity".

Ms Sturgeon says her government is helping business but adds that business "also has a role to play".

She urges companies to "treat your workers fairly" by making sure they don't have to come in if they can work from home.

"Let's not look back in a few weeks and wish we had done more to protect ourselves," she says.

Image source, BBC News

Ms Sturgeon says her government will be "expanding the pay system which helps those who become unemployed into alternative jobs" including into those sectors which are expanding such as supermarkets.

"We will use government contracts to keep financial support flowing," she adds.

She also expresses hope that there will be "a positive and substantial announcement from the chancellor later today". She stresses the importance of helping businesses pay their employers.

Ms Sturgeon now urges the Scottish people not to have "one last night out".

"You must not consider vital health advice to be merely optional," she says.

She says understands younger people will want to socialise but adds: "I cannot be clearer - please do not think this advice applies to other people."

"Life, right now, is not normal."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon starts by providing an update on the latest figures. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has risen to 322 - an increase of 56 since yesterday.

The number of deaths has not increased.

She is joined by Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop and chief medical officer - Dr Catherine Calderwood.