US President Donald Trump now leaves no doubt that his country is dealing with a serious situation.

But - as the numbers have grown exponentially - his assessment of the threat has changed significantly, as these quotes show.

30 January: "We have it very well under control. We have very little problem in this country at this moment - five. And those people are all recuperating successfully."

10 February: "Looks like by April, you know, in theory, when it gets a little warmer, it miraculously goes away."

27 February: "It's going to disappear. One day, it's like a miracle, it will disappear."

17 March: "I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic. I've always viewed it as very serious."

25 March: "We're going to be opening relatively soon... I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter."

30 March: Mr Trump extends virus measures to the end of April and says that if the US death toll finishes at or below 100,000, "we all will have done a very good job".

Argentina has said it will extend a mandatory nationwide quarantine period until the middle of April.

The lockdown restricts non-essential workers from leaving their homes - apart from to buy food or medicines - and was initially planned until the end of March.

It will now be in place until the end of the Easter week, President Alberto Fernandez said, which means it could be lifted on 12 April.

"What do we aim to achieve? To keep the transmission of the virus under control," he said in a televised message. So far the lockdown has been working, he added.

The country has recorded 820 infections with 20 deaths.

Image source, Getty Images

Japanese shares dropped on Monday on uncertainty over possible stricter measures to fight the coronavirus.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell just over 4% in early trade.

An increase in coronavirus cases reported at the weekend raised the prospect of wider testing and a lockdown in Japan.

On Monday, Japan extended a ban on tourists travelling from the United States, China, South East Asia and most of Europe

At the weekend, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the Japanese public should "brace for a prolonged battle against coronavirus".

Other Asian markets also pointed south - with South Korea's Kospi index down 2.7%.

Shaimaa Khalil
BBC News, Sydney

There are exceptions to Australia's new rule that only two people can gather in one place - weddings, for instance.

When PM Scott Morrison said last week that weddings would be limited to five people, many wondered how it would work. And there have been media reports of couples breaching the rules.

On Sunday I saw a five-person wedding by Sydney's harbour. The groom stood near a floral altar and looked on as the bride walked down a short aisle.

The photographer stood at a distance, wearing a mask, and got his camera ready. Two elderly men sat near them, and there was a celebrant. Two elderly women watched from a distance.

Runners and walkers became onlookers, also from a distance. Some were cheering for the bride and groom, while others counted. One woman said: "Are you sure it's five? Looks like more than five."

It was a small wedding but it was still their big day.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro had a tweet taken down by Twitter for violating the platform's public health rules.

He'd posted a video of himself touring a poor suburb of the capital Brasilia and talking to a man selling meat skewers on a market.

"We have to work," the vendor said in the clip. "There are deaths, but that is up to God, we cannot stop. If we do not die of the illness, we will die of hunger."

Twitter removed the video, saying it recently changed its rules on content that counters public health recommendations.

Mr Bolsonaro has frequently downplayed the danger the virus poses and has lashed out at state and municipal officials who implemented lockdowns.

New York City is the worst-affected part of the United States - almost 800 people with Covid-19 have died there. Here's a picture of field hospitals being set up in the city's Central Park:

Japanese comedian Ken Shimura has died after testing positive for Covid-19.

The 70-year old's infection was confirmed on 23 March, making him the first Japanese entertainment star to go public with the illness.

He's been one of Japan's best-known comedians since the early 1970s and was famous for his slapstick comedy.

The US president said measures such as social distancing were "the way you win", suggesting the US "will be well on our way to recovery" by June.

He also explained the decision to extend social distancing was made after he heard that "2.2 million people could have died if we didn't go through with all of this", adding: "Now the number will be much lower."

Frances Mao
Sydney

Australia has now recorded over 4,100 cases and the deaths of 17 elderly people.

Case numbers doubled in the past week forcing authorities last night to announce new limits, which kick in from midnight:

• Public gatherings are now strictly limited to two people or the number in a single household
• More outdoor spaces - playgrounds, skateparks and outdoor gyms – will be closed
• PM Scott Morrison said Australians should only leave their homes to 1) buy essential groceries 2) make a medical or compassionate visit 3) exercise and 4) go to work or school if they can't do it from home
• States and territories have announced criminal penalties for those caught breaching these rules - how this will be policed remains unclear

In other news, the government is expected to announce key jobs support today. Businesses will be paid up to A$1,500 (£740; $920) per fortnight to keep on their employees.

And last night, thousands of Australians who’ve come home started a 14-day monitored quarantine in hotel rooms paid for by the government. Travellers have so far made up two-thirds of Australia’s virus cases.

Image source, EPA

Image source, Getty Images

US President Trump has said the country's restrictions will be extended until at least 30 April.

"The highest point of the death rate is likely to hit in two weeks," he said on Sunday, adding that "therefore we will be extending our guidelines."

Mr Trump had earlier said he'd hoped restrictions could be eased by Easter, which comes in the middle of the month.

The US has more than 142,000 cases, by far the highest number of confirmed infections worldwide. Almost 2,500 people have died.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the face of Washington's coronavirus task force, has warned that the virus could kill up to 200,000 Americans.

He said that it was "entirely conceivable" that millions of Americans could eventually be infected and that between 100,000 and 200,000 could die.

Hello and welcome to our rolling updates on the coronavirus pandemic. We’ll be bringing you live developments from around the world.

Here's what you need to know:

• in Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced strict new measures which limit movement. The new rules, in effect in about 12 hours, will restrict indoor and outdoor gatherings to two people, unless they live in a single household
• in the US, President Donald Trump has extended national guidelines for social distancing for another month. The "peak" of recorded deaths would happen in about two weeks, he said in a briefing
• globally, there have now been more than 720,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19, and more than 33,000 people with the disease have died.