Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent, BBC News

The editor of prominent medical journal The Lancet has told UK MPs that the government’s scientific advisers failed to take into account early warnings of the seriousness of the epidemic in China.

Dr Richard Horton told the Science Select Committee that this led to them adopting a “pedestrian approach” in preparing for the epidemic.

Dr Horton said papers from Chinese researchers published in the Lancet at the beginning of the year showed that the NHS was likely to be overwhelmed by cases. He said February was a “missed opportunity” to buy protective equipment and increase NHS capacity.

The government’s chief scientific and medical officers say they have drawn on advice from leading experts around the world – including from China.

One of the government’s leading advisers, Professor Neil Ferguson, said his modelling indicated that the NHS should be able to cope with the surge if people followed current government advice.

Gavin Lee
BBC Europe Reporter

The European Commission has asked the Greek government to move “the most vulnerable people” from packed migrant camps on the Greek islands, to areas that are less concentrated in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

There are currently no confirmed Covid-19 cases in any camps on the islands, or at camps on the Greek mainland, but this is seen as a key area of concern.

More than 42,000 people are now held in overpopulated camps the islands of Lesbos, Samos, Chios, Leros and Kos.

The Greek authorities have recently tightened the rules of movement around the camps, including preventing entry for all but essential staff, as well as carrying out temperature checks for new arrivals.

A spokesman for the European Commission has told the BBC that there is an “ongoing dialogue with the Greek government” over moving the most vulnerable and looking at the best ways to prevent an outbreak.

House of Commons
Parliament

After more questions on testing, and calls for help for care workers, Mr Corbyn then asks about protective equipment for NHS staff.

He says the Healthcare Supply Association has been forced to use Twitter to ask DIY shops to donate equipment to NHS staff.

"This is an appalling situation," he adds.

But Mr Johnson says he has been "assured" stocks are on the way, saying the army has distributed 7.5 million pieces of equipment in the past 24 hours.

The Labour leader says it is "important" they get it - and points to a survey where 77% of NHS chiefs said lack of testing and shortages were the two biggest concerns for them.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is now questioning the PM for his last time as leader of the opposition.

At his 136th weekly appearance at Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Corbyn will be allowed to ask 12 questions instead of his usual six, as the length of questioning is doubled for social distancing measures.

He begins by paying tribute to public services, saying they are the "unsung heroes" of this crisis - paying special tribute to cleaners.

Mr Corbyn then pushes the PM on testing, saying a leaked email showed Mr Johnson appealing to research institutes for testing machines just three days ago. He asks: "Why wasn't this done weeks ago?"

After paying tribute to Mr Corbyn on his last appearance, Mr Johnson says the government is increasing testing every day and it has been "a priority ever since the crisis was obviously upon us".

House of Commons
Parliament

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is now on his feet in the Commons.

He pays tribute to NHS workers and says it is "in order to protect them and help them" that the UK is taking such "extraordinary measures".

Besides self-isolation, social distancing is also seen as a crucial practice in many countries to prevent the virus' spread.

But what exactly is the UK's advice on social distancing - and who should be doing it the most? The BBC's Laura Foster explains.

Janhavee Moole
BBC Marathi, Mumbai

Without the usual noise, Mumbai feels like a city from a different world.

There’s an eerie silence on the roads, except for the chirping of birds, and the occasional noise of the few vehicles ferrying essential service providers.

What makes everything more unusual is the fact that It’s Gudi Padhwa - the first day of the Marathi New Year.

On any other year, the city would have been full of parades and celebrating people.

But today, although people have erected Gudi- traditional flags - to mark the day, celebrations are mostly indoors.

Instead of visiting friends and families, people are sharing messages over WhatsApp. Police vans are patrolling most of the main roads in the city. They are making announcements and asking people to stay indoors.

“We are outside for you, stay inside for us,” they say.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, AFP

India is on day one of its lockdown, which prompted panic-buying.

The health ministry says India has 519 Covid-19 cases and nine deaths. Why so low in a country of 1.3bn? Very low testing rates could be to blame, making it a possible pandemic hotspot.

In other developments:

• China's Hubei province is lifting all travel restrictions today – a significant milestone for 60 million people locked down since January. Wuhan - where the global outbreak began - will ease restrictions on 8 April.
• South Korea said all arrivals from the US would need to self-isolate for two weeks, from Friday. South Korea's imported cases jumped by 34 to 101 on Tuesday, its biggest single-day rise as it battles a second wave of infections. European arrivals already face a two-week quarantine and virus tests.
• Malaysia is extending its two-week lockdown. With just under 1,800 confirmed cases, the country is the worst-hit in south east Asia, recording 17 virus deaths.
• Pakistan, which has 991 confirmed cases and seven deaths, said it had recorded its first coronavirus death due to local transmission. The Lahore resident had no travel history.
• In Central Asia, people in Uzbekistan face fines for not wearing masks in public and Kazakhstan’s main cities are under quarantine. Meanwhile, Turkmenistan says it has yet to record a single case – perhaps not surprising for one of the most secretive states in the world.

Image source, UK Parliament

Boris Johnson will be up in the Commons for Prime Minister's Questions at 12:00 GMT.

Questioning is expected to last for an hour - rather than 30 minutes - to allow MPs to swap out and keep to social distancing rules.

It will also be Jeremy Corbyn's last PMQs before he steps down as Labour leader.

You can watch the event live from this page or on BBC Parliament and the BBC News channel.

Image source, Getty Images

Prince Charles attended what is believed to be his most recent public appearance on 12 March.

According to the Court Circular record of the Royal Family's engagements, the Prince of Wales attended a dinner in aid of the Australian Bushfire Appeal at Mansion House in the City of London.

Pictures from the occasion show Prince Charles giving a speech and mingling with attendees.

We also now understand that he met his mother the same day, though precise details of that occasion are unclear. The Queen remains "in good health", according to palace officials.

Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are now isolating at their residence in Aberdeenshire, Birkhall.

Image source, Getty Images

The death toll in Spain from the coronavirus has just officially surpassed that of China to become the second highest in the world.

New data from the Health Ministry shows that there have now been 3,434 deaths in Spain, external - an increase of 738 in just 24 hours. It is the steepest daily increase in the death toll since the virus hit Spain.

The overall number of cases increased to 47,610 from 39,673 on Tuesday.

Spain is now second only to Italy in the number of coronavirus deaths.

According to data collated by Johns Hopkins University, at least 6,820 people have died in Italy and 3,285 in China.

We'll be here all day, bringing you the latest news about the coronavirus from around the world. Our colleagues are also creating live coverage for those of you who want to follow the story in other languages.

Here's a selection of some of the other BBC live pages running today:

• Urdu
• Hausa
• Persian
• Turkish

Here's some more detail about Prince Charles' recent movements following today's announcement that he has tested positive for coronavirus.

BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell says the prince and his wife flew to Scotland on Sunday, although they did not travel on a scheduled flight.

He adds that they were both tested on Monday and got their results last night.

Prince Charles's last public engagement was on 12 March - the same day he last saw his mother, the Queen. Palace officials say the Monarch remains in "good health".

The prince, 71, and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, 72, are self-isolating at Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate in Aberdeenshire.

A Palace statement said: "The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing."

Some of the symptoms of the virus are quite similar to the common cold or flu - but there is a difference. Watch as the BBC's Laura Foster breaks it down for you - and what to do if you're in the UK and think you might have the virus.

BBC News Channel

Image source, Getty Images

The BBC is asking experts to answer your questions about the coronavirus.

"My daughter-in-law is pregnant via IVF, my son is severely at-risk after a bone marrow transplant - should my daughter-in-law continue to go to work?"

Dr William Bird, a GP and expert adviser on physical fitness, said the known risks of coronavirus in pregnancy apply to those in later stages.

He said: "We know that pregnant women are not more likely to get coronavirus. But at the end of pregnancy very few pregnant women are slightly more likely to get it more severely.

"We have been told that you can only be at work if it is absolutely neccesary - does she really have to be at work?

"For the son who is very vulnerable it is important that people stay away. If the daughter-in-law lives at home - then she can come back home but she has just got to keep that distance from your son."

"Can I go for a drive by myself to get out of the house for a while?"

Dr Peter Drobac of the Syed Business School at Oxford said: "The answer is no - we are told to go out to do essential shopping and go out once a day for exercise. The individual risk is low from driving around but the best thing we can do is adhere to the guidelines very strictly."

Image source, Getty Images

A little more on the news that Prince Charles has tested positive for coronavirus.

A Palace statement says: "He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual."

The spokesman says his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, has also been tested but does not have the virus.

The royal couple are now self-isolating at home in Scotland.

The statement added: "It is not possible to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks."

Prince Charles - the heir to the British throne - has tested positive for coronavirus, according to palace officials.

Image source, AFP

In Jordan, where 153 confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been reported, the government has eased an indefinite curfew.

Ministers announced on Monday that people would not be permitted to leave their homes and that municipalities would deliver essential goods like bread and water.

But on Tuesday, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz said people would now be allowed to leave the homes on foot during the day to go to local grocery shops, bakeries and pharmacies.

In other developments:

• Iran: President Hassan Rouhani has warned that his government is set to impose tough new measures against the coronavirus. He said they would include restrictions on movement and were likely to be “difficult” for the public. Despite being by far the hardest-hit country in the region, Iran has so far resisted lockdowns. It has reported 2,077 deaths linked to Covid-19 and 27,017 cases, although the actual figures are thought to be far higher.
• Israel: The government has approved new restrictions that will take effect at 17:00 (15:00 GMT). Israeli media reported that people were likely to be required to stay within 100m (330ft) of their homes. Five people have died In israel and another 2,030 have been infected.
• United Arab Emirates: Dubai-based airline Emirates has become the largest international carrier to completely ground its fleet in response to the pandemic. It came after the authorities in the UAE, which has reported 248 confirmed cases and two deaths, closed all its airports.

With many of the world's largest outbreaks occurring in regions where the weather is cooler, some have been wondering whether rising temperatures could bring a drop in coronavirus cases.

With infections like the flu peaking in winter, it is natural to think that summer might bring some relief. But experts say pandemics often don't behave in the same way as seasonal outbreaks.

Click here to find out what we know so far about the effect changing temperatures could have on the coronavirus.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin put on special protective gear as he visited coronavirus patients at a hospital in Moscow on Tuesday.

Mr Putin has so far declared the outbreak "under control" in Russia.

However, the official number of people infected in Russia rose to 658 on Wednesday - the largest one-day increase in cases so far.

The mayor of Moscow told him during his hospital visit that the number of cases in the Russian capital far exceeded the official figures.

"A serious situation is unfolding," Sergei Sobyanin told the president.

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Russia has closed cinemas, nightclubs and children's entertainment venues.

Meanwhile, MPs have proposed imposing severe punishments - including up to seven years in prison and hefty fines - for people breaking coronavirus quarantine rules.