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.

Image source, Getty Images

Restrictions have been placed on movement around an ultra-Orthodox Jewish town in western Israel that has become an epicentre of the coronavirus.

Police have erected cordons around Bnei Barak, on the edge of Tel Aviv, limiting traffic passing in and out of the town, and residents who have to be quarantined will be accommodated in hotels. Bnei Barak has the second-highest rate of infection in the country.

There has been growing disquiet in Israel about the slowness of some ultra-Orthodox communities to adopt official measures to curb the spread of the disease.

Many ultra-Orthodox live within large families in crowded neighbourhoods and their access to the internet and social media is limited for religious reasons, meaning news and information from the outside world is comparatively poor.

People across the UK are being urged to join in another national applause for health workers this evening.

Last week people around the country stood at their doorways and on their apartment balconies in a moving tribute to the NHS and care workers treating those affected by coronavirus.

And the woman behind Clap for our Carers, Annemarie Plas, who lives in south London, has called on the UK to do it again at 20:00 BST tonight - and every Thursday until the end of the pandemic.

There's been a record jump in the number of people applying for unemployment benefit in Spain. More than 300,000 people went on the dole in March because of the coronavirus lockdown.

The ministry of social security said the overall number of people in paid work paying social security contributions fell by nearly 900,000.

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

I thought it was interesting in the video posted by the prime minister he did not mention this 25,000 daily testing target we have heard from government ministers throughout the crisis. There is a sense, I think, it is beginning to slip as they find it increasingly difficult to get the necessary test.

It is clear the government’s hope of attacking the virus rests not with a current coronavirus test, but with the separate proposed antibody test which will establish if people have immunity from the virus.

It is not up and running, it is still in the development stage, but the government has ordered 3.5m of those tests and the hope is that it will help ministers establish if people have built up an immunity to the virus and can be released from the lockdown.

That is which the government believes could provide way out of this crisis and that is which they are looking to mass test.

It doesn't get us out of the current situation or help to identify people who have coronavirus. So that test is of no use now but down the road the government believes that could be the exit strategy.

Celebrating your birthday while under lockdown isn't very easy nor fun, so one American woman decided to spring a surprise on her fiancé.

Hannah Chung and Jason Shields had moved into their new home in Los Angeles just weeks before social distancing rules came into effect. When Jason's birthday rolled round soon after, Hannah roped in their neighbours for a celebration. Have a watch.

Danny Shaw
BBC Home Affairs Correspondent

UK prosecutors are being advised not to charge suspected fraudsters and gangsters to avoid "clogging up" courts during the outbreak.

Cases involving serious organised crime and major fraud are among those listed as “lower priority”, in new, emergency guidance.

The document, from the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), suggests placing offences into one of three categories, according to how quickly criminal proceedings have to be brought.

The priority cases, classed as “immediate”, include murder and serious domestic abuse where there’s a risk of further offending.

Attacks on emergency workers and other crimes linked to coronavirus would also be passed to the courts immediately.

The next type of case, referred to as “high priority”, would involve the suspect not appearing in court for up to eight weeks after being charged.

Cases in this category include certain types of domestic abuse and serious violence.

The last category, known as “other cases” - which would be delayed - include criminal damage and benefit fraud - as well as serious fraud and large-scale serious organised crime cases.

Image source, Jessie Clark

It's worth emphasising that most people who contract the virus do go on to get better.

Some people experience relatively mild symptoms, while others experience no symptoms at all.

Yet some people do become seriously ill. The BBC has spoken to three people who were hospitalised after developing Covid-19.

They are a pregnant 39-year-old, a young woman with a health condition, and a healthy 64-year-old man.

You can read their stories here.

Sport, like all industries, continues to deal with a range of issues as it reacts to the coronavirus pandemic. Here are the latest updates:

• The Women's European Championship - set to be held in England in 2021 - will be moved to the summer of 2022
• McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz are to take a pay cut as the team put some staff on furlough
• England cricketer Chris Woakes says the squad have not been asked to take a pay cut, although does not rule it out
• 10,000 NHS staff will be given free tickets for the first day of the 2021 Grand National festival

Image source, Getty Images

Reports in Japan citing Kyodo News say Tokyo has seen more than 90 new cases of infections, making it the biggest jump in cases in the city in a single day.

There are more than 2000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the country, and about a quarter of them are in Tokyo.

Image source, Getty Images

China has approved the use of bear bile to treat critically ill coronavirus patients.

The National Health Commission has recommended the use of Tan Re Qing - an injection that contains bear bile, goat horn and herbs - to treat patients with Covid-19.

But there is no evidence the mixture has any medicinal value.

Bear bile, which is produced in the liver and stored in the gall bladder, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for hundreds of years and fetches a high price in the illegal international market.

The move to approve its use has angered animal rights activists and comes just weeks after the country banned the sale of wild animals for food.

• Health officials in Italy and Spain both say there is evidence the outbreak is slowing. The two countries are the worst affected worldwide in terms of deaths, with Italy reporting 13,155 and Spain recording 9,053
• Authorities in France say 570 people have died in nursing homes in the Grand-Est region alone. The official national death toll only includes those who die in hospitals, and there are growing concerns that many more have died in care homes. BBC Paris correspondent Lucy Williamson has covered the crisis
• The number of confirmed cases in Russia has jumped by 771 cases in 24 hours, to a total of 3,548

• And the tiny principality of Andorra reportedly has plans to test its entire population. According to the news site ARA, health minister Joan Martínez Benazet says all 77,000 citizens of the state will get antibody tests

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

The UK is aiming to carry out 100,000 tests for coronavirus a day in "a small number of weeks," according to Prof Paul Cosford, emeritus medical director of Public Health England.

Currently there is capacity for 12,750 daily tests. As of 09:00 BST on Wednesday, 152,979 people in the UK had been tested.

Prof Cosford told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Everybody involved is frustrated that we haven’t yet got to the position that we need to get to (on testing)."

Asked why other testing facilities in the country were not being used, Prof Cosford said Public Health England was looking at how it could use all the country's laboratories "to boost up at least 100,000 tests a day, hopefully more”.

He added that he would expect this work to be in place “over the coming days and a small number of weeks”.

Image source, Reuters

Greece has put a migrant camp under quarantine after 20 asylum seekers there tested positive for coronavirus.

Officials began testing after a woman from the camp who gave birth in an Athens hospital was the first refugee in the country to test positive.

The Ritsona camp near Athens has a capacity of around 2,500 people and will be locked down for 14 days, officials said on Thursday.

Greece is a gateway for many migrants from Africa and the Middle East trying to get into Europe but camps are often overcrowded, described by Greek officials as a ticking time bomb should there be outbreaks of coronavirus.

Image source, ALEXIALEX

People struggling with loan repayments and overdraft fees in the UK will be granted temporary relief under new proposals.

The Financial Conduct Authority, which supervises banks and credit providers across the country, is asking banks to freeze payments on loans and credit cards for up to three months for those facing difficulties.

The watchdog also wants interest on the first £500 of existing overdrafts to be frozen for a period.

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.

We earlier reported that a man in his 50s, who lives in Mumbai's Dharavi slum, had been infected with Covid019. He has since died, BBC Marathi has confirmed.

He had symptoms of fever and a cough a week ago before testing positive for the virus on Wednesday. Seven family members have been quarantined and the building he lived in - home to 300 families - has been sealed.

Experts have pointed out that while social distancing is crucial - it remains near impossible in heavily congested areas like the Dharavi slum.

The incident has also spurred concerns over the potential impact as tracking the virus in such a crowded and cramped area will prove challenging.

In a tweet, external, Essex Police said a car took a "last minute turn to avoid" officers when they were carrying out a stop-check on drivers in Southend-on-Sea in England.

Image source, Essex OSG

Officers found the driver hiding in a car park. An arrest was made for possession of drugs and drug driving.

It's easy enough to wash your hands and stay away from people - when you have running water and have your own living space.

Across the world, thousands of refugees and migrants are living in camps that are often unsanitary and crowded, and it's not easy to try to avoid catching the virus.

In Moria in Lesbos, 18,000 people are staying in a facility built for 3,000 and cases of Covid-19 are already on their doorstep.

The BBC's population reporter Stephanie Hegarty was sent footage by a group of young filmmakers living in the settlement, who recorded scenes of migrants doing their best to keep people safe.

British Airways is expected to announce it will suspend around 36,000 staff after reaching a broad agreement with the Unite union.

Up to 80% of BA cabin crew, ground staff, engineers and those working at head office will have their jobs suspended. No staff are expected to be made redundant.

The decision will affect all staff at Gatwick and London City Airport after the airline suspended its operations at both locations until the crisis is over.

Those affected are expected to receive some of their wages through the government's coronavirus job retention scheme, which covers 80% of someone's salary capped at a maximum of £2,500 a month.

Image source, Getty Images