Image source, Getty Images

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has said there is no reason Holland America cruise ships with sick passengers on board should dock in Florida.

The MS Zaandam and MS Rotterdam have passed through the Panama Canal and are heading towards Fort Lauderdale. According to the Associated Press, external, there are over 300 US citizens on the ships.

"It's just a convenient place," he told reporters. "The problem is that takes resources away from the people in South Florida, and yes we do have available beds, but I don't want it to be a situation where those beds could have gone to Floridians."

More than 100 passengers and crew are sick with flu-like symptoms. Two deaths on the Zaandam are believed to be due to Covid-19, and several more on board have tested positive.

The ships could arrive in the area by tomorrow.

Fort Lauderdale's mayor has also expressed concerns about sick passengers affecting the local health system, saying foreign nationals should be sent to their countries and Americans should be taken to hospitals that are not at risk of being overwhelmed.

DeSantis said they need to get medical care onto the vessels and the cruise company could work with federal officials in DC to arrange something as the state has "enough to deal with".

"We've got almost 22 million people just in this area," DeSantis said. "Having people from other states flee to here or to have a cruise ship come in it creates problems and we want to focus on Floridians."

The UK Conservative MP Geoffrey Cox and his deep baritone voice gained a level of fame last year when he made this speech in Parliament accusing MPs of acting like children in the playground.

He has now turned his hand to addressing actual children, by recording a bedtime story "for while we are cooped up in CV confinement".

"This is a Chinese fairy tale entitled, 'The Stone Monkey', told by H A Giles in a beautiful little pamphlet of tales published in 1911," he tweeted, external adding "I hope you enjoy it."

Wednesday is April Fools' Day - marked in many countries with practical jokes and pranks.

But Germany's health ministry has warned that coronavirus is no laughing matter.

"In the current situation, we kindly ask you to do without invented stories on the subject of coronavirus," the federal body tweeted, to reduce the danger that the fight against the virus is made harder by "incorrect information".

Misinformation about the global pandemic has flooded the internet in recent months. You can read more about how to spot and stop the spread here.

Image source, Getty Images

Fifpro, the organisation which represents 65,000 professional football players worldwide, says it is "frankly not comprehendible" that top-level football is continuing in Belarus amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The former Soviet republic is the only country in Europe where top-flight football is being played. Eight fixtures are scheduled in the Belarusian Premier League this weekend.

There have been few cases of coronavirus in Belarus, which has a population of around 9.5m, compared to the numbers of infections seen in European hot spots Italy, Spain and France.

"We're appealing for it to be taken with the same cautionary measures that have been taken in the rest of football," Fifpro general secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann said.

"It is frankly not comprehendible how this could be going on.

"Why those standards there would be looking so much different from just across the border, I don't think anybody can explain. So everything in common sense tells you that they need to apply the same standards and we will be lobbying to that effect."

Read more here.

A 13-year-old boy from London has died after testing positive for coronavirus, King's College Hospital has said.

"Sadly, a 13-year old boy who tested positive for Covid-19 has passed away, and our thoughts and condolences are with the family at this time," a spokesman for the hospital said.

"The death has been referred to the coroner and no further comment will be made."

Image source, Getty Images

Charities in the UK say they need “substantial” government support to shore up their finances during the coronavirus pandemic.

MPs were told charities could lose around a third of their income over the next three months, as social-distancing measures make fundraising events impossible.

Karl Wilding, chief executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, said his group has been “inundated with calls for help”.

The UK government has promised a “package of measures” for the sector, including the deferral of VAT bills and pay for staff on temporary leave.

But Mr Wilding said the crisis faced by charities was more serious than after the 2008 financial crash, when the sector was given a £40m ($49m) bailout.

Read the full story here.

Image source, Getty Images

A majority of US states have issued some form of restrictions on businesses in an effort to combat the spread of Covid-19 - but not all of the services deemed "essential" are what you'd expect.

In a number of states, including Arizona, Indiana and North Carolina golf courses have been allowed to stay open.

Many states where marijuana is legal, including California and Colorado, have marked marijuana dispensaries as essential services.

Video game store Game Stop has argued it must keep shops open as it provides items related to remote working.

Several craft stores have also decided themselves to be essential businesses. One such company, Michael's, reportedly told employees they were "fundamental" to allowing people "to take their minds off a stressful reality", according to Business Insider, external.

In New Mexico and Florida, liquor stores have also been allowed to keep doors open.

Firearm and ammunition retailers are also on more state lists of essential services following a notice issued by the US homeland security agency this weekend that advised gun shops were "critical" businesses.

On Monday, Los Angeles County - the most populous county in the US - said it would allow gun stores to stay open during the pandemic due to the Trump administration memo.

Read the full story here.

Shortages of personal protective equipment are proving to be a serious problem for healthcare workers on the front line of the battle against coronavirus.

One doctor from the UK has come up with a novel solution involving 3D printers.

James Coxon is calling on 3D printer owners to use their machines to make face shields for the NHS.

His 3DCrowd UK group has already made and donated thousands of 3D-printed masks made by volunteers.

“We are basically asking all the people around the country with 3D printers to join our project to create face shields for hospitals and other health workers,” said Gen Ashley from 3DCrowd UK.

Read the full story: 3D-printer owners rally to create NHS face masks

Image source, 3DCrowd UK

Police in the US have had to deal with some unusual cases as a result of social-distancing guidelines.

On Sunday, Chicago police broke up a funeral, external with between 40 and 60 attendees for breaching the state's stay-at-home order. Police said they witnessed several people drinking from the same cup. Officers said they dispersed the attendees, but did not arrest anyone.

Meanwhile, in Florida, police arrested a pastor for unlawful assembly - after he allegedly held two large services, and laid on buses to help attendees get to the church. Police said Rodney Howard-Browne's "reckless disregard for human life" put hundreds at risk.

And in Maine, police were called to investigate a particularly extreme case - after local vigilantes allegedly chopped down a tree, external and used it to block a local resident's road - to stop them from leaving their home. They apparently targeted the person because their licence plates indicated they were from another state. A local politician criticised the actions as "a tremendous waste of resources", adding "now is not the time to develop an 'us vs. them' mentality".

Image source, HERNANDO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

The spread of coronavirus in a district at the epicentre of Germany’s outbreak will be examined for what scientists have described as a first-of-its-kind study.

A team of student researchers, led by a top virologist, will carry out tests in Heinsberg, a district in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

As of Tuesday, there were 1,238 confirmed infections and 32 deaths in the district, according to data collected by Germany’s Robert Koch Institute, external.

Heinsberg was among the earliest and most severely affected areas in Germany, leading to comparisons with Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus first emerged.

The purpose of the study is to determine how the coronavirus has spread in the district and which social-distancing measures can most effectively contain it.

Professor Hendrik Streeck, the head of virology at the University of Bonn, said the study could be a “big chance for the whole of Germany” and the world.

“We’ll be gathering information and practical tips as to how to deal with Covid-19 and how we can achieve further containment of it, without our lives having to come to a standstill over a period of years,” Prof Streeck said during a live-streamed briefing to local politicians.

A group of 1,000 people from a village in Heinsberg have been selected to take part in the study, which started on Tuesday morning.

The study hopes to offer recommendations on how the German government might handle the coronavirus pandemic in the coming years.

Mr Streeck said he was not aware of any similar experiments in other coronavirus hotspots across the world.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

The crisis continues in Italy while Spain passed a grim milestone in its fight against the virus. Here’s the latest from Europe:

• Italy remains the worst affected country in the world. Tuesday's figures show the official death toll rose by 837 deaths to 12,428, more than the 812 recorded on Monday. Moreover, the number of new infections was 2,107, which is greater than the 1,648 the day before (but down from the equivalent numbers last week). All around the country the flag is flying at half-mast to honour the dead
• The death toll in Spain has jumped by 849 in just 24 hours, a new daily record in the country. Confirmed cases have now risen to 94,417, higher than the reported figures from China. Madrid and Catalonia are still the worst hit regions, though cases are also growing in Castilla La Mancha
• France has recorded 499 new hospital deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 3,523. This is the highest daily rise in such deaths in France since the outbreak began
• A 12-year-old girl has died in Belgium. She is thought to be the youngest Covid-19 victim in Europe. Virologist Emmanuel André was on the verge of tears when he announced her death, saying it was “a rare event and we're very distressed by it". In total Belgium has lost 705 people in the outbreak
• Russia’s parliament has passed an “anti-virus” package of laws in a bid to tackle the crisis. Now, anyone infected who breaks quarantine faces seven years behind bars if others die as a result, while those who spread misinformation about coronavirus could receive a five year sentence

Image source, Reuters

The captain of a US aircraft carrier is pleading for help amid a Covid-19 outbreak on his vessel.

There are more than 4,000 crew members aboard the Theodore Roosevelt and scores have tested positive for the virus - at least 100 sailors, according to the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper., external

"We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die," Captain Brett Crozier wrote in a letter to the Pentagon, adding that the spread was "ongoing and accelerating" and could not be contained.

The carrier is currently docked in Guam. Cramped, communal conditions on vessels like the Theodore Roosevelt make it difficult to maintain social distancing measures.

A US Navy spokesman told Reuters news agency the service was "moving quickly to take all necessary measures to ensure the health and safety of the crew of USS Theodore Roosevelt".

Read the full story here.

Image source, No 10 Downing Street

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has shared a screenshot of what he said was the first ever digital Cabinet meeting, external.

Ministers joined the meeting via video link this morning.

And, obviously, it wasn't long before people weighed in with observations on Twitter - noting the Union Jack flag positioned behind International Trade Secretary Liz Truss, and Mr Johnson's appearance after he tested positive for Covid-19 last week.

"Who's the cabinet minister everyone has to continually scream 'MUTE!!!!!' at?" one Sky News reporter tweetd.

If you, like many of us, are just getting to grips with this, here's a light-hearted look at the perils of videoconferencing from our reporter Katie Prescott:

• 'The phone slipped into the bath'

The UK government is releasing 35 pregnant prisoners and 34 women in mother and baby units from jails in England and Wales.

The Ministry of Justice says pregnant women in custody who do not pose a high risk of harm to the public will be temporarily released from prison "within days to protect them and their unborn children from coronavirus".

Prisoners in mother and baby units will also be temporarily released with their children.

They will be released once they pass a risk assessment and suitable accommodation has been identified.

The Ministry of Justice says that as of Monday, 65 inmates had tested positive for coronavirus in 23 prisons while 14 prison staff have tested positive across eight prisons.

France has recorded 499 new hospital deaths from coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 3,523, its director of health has said. This is the highest daily rise in such deaths since the outbreak began.

Health agency director Jérôme Salomon told a news conference that the number of cases had risen to 52,128 from 44,550 in the same period.

He said a total of 5,565 patients had been placed in intensive case, a rise of 588 in 24 hours.

France is one of five countries, including the US, China, Italy and Spain, to have surpassed the threshold of 3,000 deaths.

France is not yet counting deaths outside hospitals, so the total number of deaths could potentially be higher.

Image source, AFP

The government of Dubai has announced that it will inject equity into state-owned airline Emirates, external. The world’s largest long-haul carrier, which has 100,000 employees, has been forced to ground almost all of its flights due to restrictions on travel.

Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum cited “its strategic importance to the Dubai and UAE economy, and the airline’s key role in positioning the emirate as a major international aviation hub”. He provided no further details.

In other developments in the Middle East:

In Israel, the military’s chief of staff, Lt Gen Aviv Kochavi, and two other generals are self-isolating. The military said Gen Kochavi was not displaying symptoms of Covid-19, external, but that he and the other two officers had attended a meeting on 22 March with a commander in the reserves who later tested positive for the disease.

At a virtual meeting organised by Saudi Arabia, finance ministers and central bank governors from the G20 group of major economies promised to address the risk of debt vulnerabilities in low-income countries so they can focus on fighting Covid-19, external.

BBC newsreader George Alagiah, who is being treated for bowel cancer, has revealed he has had a mild case of coronavirus.

"I got a temperature," he told colleague Sophie Raworth. "I’m in the middle of cancer treatment and they always say if you get a temperature, you phone.

"They did loads of tests. A few days later my oncologist told me you’re fine as far as the chemo side of things are concerned but you do have Covid-19.

"My first reaction was if that was it, I’ve got away with it because I had a temperature but not all the other nasty things people talk about."

Alagiah, who says he feels well although not quite back to normal, hopes his experience can help alleviate other cancer patients' fears of catching the virus.

"The very fact we’re living with cancer gives us an edge because we've confronted those difficult, dark moments in our lives. In some ways we are stronger because we know what it is like to go into something where the outcome is uncertain.

"I'm lucky, I had it in a mild way but lots of other people will have it in a mild way too."

Jonathan Blake
BBC political correspondent

The metaphors were mixed but the message was consistent - keep following the rules and stay at home.

Prof Powis said that while there may be some positive signs that restrictions on movement are having an impact on the number of cases of coronavirus, it's very early days.

Although there were green shoots, he said, we were still in the woods and must not take our foot off the pedal.

Any talk of a let-up was premature, cabinet minister Michael Gove said. "It's absolutely not the time for people to imagine there can be any relaxation or slackening."

On testing, there was an acknowledgement from Gove that the availability of chemicals was holding up the UK's ability to increase testing.

That is a global problem however and does leave the government open to questions about how other countries have been able to implement widespread testing sooner.

Even now though, there is clearly capacity to test more people than the UK currently is.

Dr Jenny Harries said the capacity was up to 12,700 but figures show in the last 24 hours 8,240 people have been tested.

There was more positive news on ventilators, from the government's point of view.

Gove was able to point to progress in the manufacture of new ventilators which would "roll off the production line this weekend".

They are much needed in hospitals ahead of an expected peak in admissions in the coming week.

The United States’ death toll from coronavirus is now higher than that of China’s, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University. The US has reported 3,415 deaths, while in China, where the virus originated, the number stands at 3,309.

It comes as the country’s leading infectious disease expert says there is a “reasonably good chance” the US will face a second wave of coronavirus later this year.

Dr Anthony Fauci, from the National Institutes of Health, said a second wave was likely “given the pervasiveness of this infection and its transmissibility”. But if a second wave does happen, the US "will be much, much better prepared", he added.

The US would have better medical equipment and anti-viral drugs and a vaccine may be available by the time a second outbreak occurs, Dr Fauci said in an interview with CNN on Tuesday.

On Sunday, Dr Fauci predicted the coronavirus pandemic could kill up to 200,000 Americans.

The US has 165,874 confirmed cases of coronavirus, the highest number in the world, figures from Johns Hopkins University showed, external.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

• The top court in Colombia has asked the government for its plans on how to protect the country's prisoners from the coronavirus pandemic. The court has given the relevant authorities three days to share the measures they have taken to stop the spread of the virus in Colombia's overcrowded jails. On 22 March, more than 20 inmates died in rioting and attempted break-outs amid rising tension as the number of confirmed cases in the country rose.

• The president of Ecuador, Lenín Moreno, has said that the bodies of those who die in the western city of Guayaquil - a virus hotspot - would be buried "with dignity" in cemeteries. His tweet came after an official said that there were plans underway to build a mass grave. On Monday, Reuters reported that the body of a man was left lying on a pavement in central Guayaquil after he collapsed. The cause of the man's death is not known.

• Mexico has declared a health emergency which will last until 30 April. The move comes after heavy criticism was levelled against President Andrés Manuel López Obrador over his response to the pandemic. The president is one of the few in the region who has not ordered a lockdown. Under the new rules, gatherings of more than 50 people will be banned. Twenty-eight people have so far died after testing positive for the virus.