Summary

  • Latest figures from Italy show 631 deaths and 10,149 cases

  • Travel restricted across Italy and public gatherings are forbidden

  • World Trade Organization suspends all meetings until 20 March after staff member infected

  • Iran reports 54 deaths, its highest figure yet over a 24-hour period

  • Shares in Europe lose ground after initially recovering from Monday's sharp fall

  • A sixth person dies in the UK where there are now 373 cases

  • Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Wuhan for first time since outbreak began

Live Reporting

Joshua Cheetham and Alexandra Fouché

  1. Australia reaches 100 cases

    Dr Brendan MurphyEPA

    Dr Brendan Murphy

    However almost all of them - excluding three deaths - are pretty mild cases, says the nation's chief medical officer Dr Brendan Murphy.

    He said over half of Australia's infected patients so far have recovered.

    Australia has still only recorded one case of "community transmission", which happened in an outbreak in northern Sydney. That shut downs schools, an aged care home and is affecting a hospital.

    "New South Wales and Sydney is still the significantly biggest part of our outbreak in Australia," Mr Murphy said.

    Authorities say they're at the point where they're still fighting to contain the disease - so their focus is on returned travellers and people who have been in touch with confirmed cases.

  2. Asian markets still on edge over oil price war

    Share prices displayed in TokyoGett

    A woman in Tokyo walks past an electronic quotation board displaying share prices

    Asian stock markets traded cautiously on Tuesday as investors came to terms with "Black Monday".

    Global shares took a battering on Monday as they reacted badly to the threat of an oil price war breaking out.

    Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index dropped more than 3% at the start of Asian trading on Tuesday morning.

    Having fallen 5% on Monday, Japanese shares have hit their lowest level since April 2017.

  3. Qantas cuts almost quarter of flights

    A Qantas airlines planeGetty Images

    A Qantas airlines plane in a hangar

    Australia's Qantas airline is making deeper cuts to its flights, with Asia and the US hit the hardest.

    The company said it would reduce international flights by nearly 25% as it sees demand fall from passengers worried about the coronavirus.

    Qantas and its budget airline Jetstar will reduce operations for the next six months.

    It is the latest carrier to make cutbacks, aimed at weathering the storm from a sharp drop in passengers.

  4. Passengers get off US virus-hit cruise liner

    Around 2,500 passengers who were stranded for days on board a US cruise liner have now begun to disembark. Nineteen crew members and two passengers have tested positive.

    All those needing immediate treatment were taken off first and driven away in ambulances. All Americans who do not need treatment will be quarantined for two weeks.

    Several hundred foreigners will be flown home.

    Grand Princess Cruise Ship Docks At Port of OaklandGetty Images

  5. Welcome to our coverage

    Hello and welcome back to our rolling coverage of the global coronavirus outbreak. Here's a quick glance at the latest developments over the past few hours:

    • The most dramatic news is coming out of Italy where about 60 million people will soon be waking up to their first day in lockdown. The unprecedented decision comes as the country's death toll jumped to 463, making it the biggest virus hotspot outside China
    • Iran has reported 43 new deaths related to the disease in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to at least 237
    • Passengers onboard virus-hit US cruise liner the Grand Princess have now begun disembarking. The cruise ship was finally allowed to dock after days of being stranded at sea. Nineteen crew and two passengers have tested positive for the virus
    • Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in the virus epicentre of Wuhan - his first visit to the city since the outbreak began