Summary

  • A hotel used as a coronavirus quarantine building in the Chinese city of Quanzhou has collapsed, trapping dozens

  • Pope Francis will deliver Sunday's Angelus Prayer by livestream to avoid the usual crowds forming

  • The number of cases in the UK is now 206, an increase of 43, the government says

  • Twenty-one cases of coronavirus are confirmed on a cruise ship that is being held off California's coast

  • France says two more people have died from the virus taking the total to 11

  • Spanish media say about 60 people contracted the virus at a funeral about two weeks ago. The national death toll has risen to 10

  • Nicola Zingaretti, president of Italy's Lazio region and secretary of the country's centre-left Democratic Party (PD), has tested positive for Covid-19

  1. Death tolls rise in France and Spainpublished at 13:43 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    France and Spain have reported an increase in the number of deaths from the coronavirus outbreak.

    France's ministry of health said two additional deaths had been confirmed in Hauts-de-France and Normandy, bringing the nationwide total to 11.

    The ministry said there were now 716 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country, an increase of 103 compared with a day earlier.

    In Spain, two more deaths - in Vitoria and Madrid - have increased the nationwide total to 10.

    The death in a hospital in Vitoria was of a 90-year-old man.

    In total, there have been 475 cases recorded in the country, El Pais reports.

    The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Netherlands rose by 60 to 188 on Saturday, the country’s health ministry said. Only one coronavirus death has been reported in the country so far.

    Elsewhere, a former passenger of the Diamond Princess, a cruise ship that was quarantined off Yokohama in Japan, has died after contracting coronavirus.

    The death is the seventh from the ship, Japanese public broadcaster NHK said on Saturday.

    A woman wearing a protective mask queues with other worshippers outside the Jesus of Medinaceli church in MadridImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    A woman wearing a protective mask queues with other worshippers outside the Jesus of Medinaceli church in Madrid

  2. Our latest charts of the virus outside Chinapublished at 13:22 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    More than 80,000 people have been infected with coronavirus in China since its emergence in the city of Wuhan, Hubei province, in December.

    But there have also been 18,000 cases outside China, according to World Health Organization (WHO) figures.

    Leaps in coronavirus cases are being reported in countries around the world every day.

    Some news agencies are reporting global infections over the 100,000 mark but our latest graphs reflect the WHO figures:

    Map showing coronavirus cases outside China

    South Korea, Italy and Iran have been worst affected, with more than 6,200 cases in South Korea, almost 4,000 in Italy and more than 3,500 in Iran.

    Chart showing coronavirus cases outside China

    However, infectious disease specialists at Imperial College London estimate about two thirds of cases originating in mainland China remain undetected worldwide., external

    This has raised fears the outbreak could become a pandemic - when an infectious disease spreads easily from person to person in many parts of the world.

    The spread has led many governments to ramp up measures to battle the virus.

    Get more on the global picture in these maps and charts.

  3. Trump alludes to 'natural ability' in medicinepublished at 13:07 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    US President Donald Trump has suggested he might have "a natural ability" in medical research, as his government fended off criticism of an inadequate response to the coronavirus outbreak.

    On a tour of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, he told reporters: “I like this stuff. I really get it."

    Mr Trump said he had had a “great, super-genius uncle” who taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

    “People are really surprised I understand this stuff. Every one of these doctors said, ‘How do you know so much about this?’ Maybe I have a natural ability. Maybe I should have done that instead of running for president.”

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  4. Pope to livestream Sunday prayer from inside Vaticanpublished at 12:56 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020
    Breaking

    Francis will not appear in St Peter's Square, to avoid people gathering amid the coronavirus outbreak, the Vatican says.

    His general audiences will also be streamed with no participants at papal morning Masses until 15 March.

    The Pope has been suffering from a cold but it is not coronavirus.

  5. What’s the latest in the US?published at 12:31 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    • The FBI says that one of its employees in San Francisco has tested positive for Covid-19. In a statement it said other workers at the small satellite office had been sent home and all known contacts of the infected person were being notified
    • Florida reported two deaths on Friday - the first on the US east coast. They take the US death toll to 16 with more than 200 confirmed cases. The other fatalities have been in the west-coast states of California and Washington.
    • The White House is facing continued criticism of its response to the crisis, in particular the delays in testing for the virus. President Donald Trump has signed an $8.3bn (£6.4bn) emergency bill but the government has admitted that it does not have enough testing kits. Irwin Redlener, director of Columbia University's National Center for Disaster Preparedness, described the response as "gross amateur-hour incompetence". "We've done maybe 1,000 or more tests when South Korea has done 75,000-100,000 - this whole thing is out of control," he told MSNBC
    • A US Navy sailor has tested positive for the virus in Naples, Italy, Fox News reports, external
  6. Girl, 12, is Malta's first case - and other Europe statspublished at 12:22 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    Malta's first case of coronavirus has been detected. A 12-year-old Italian girl who lives on the island tested positive for the virus, Health Minister Chris Fearne said. The girl is being treated in hospital, where she "is doing well", the minister added

    It comes less than 24 hours after doctors and nurses on the island threatened to strike if a cruise ship were allowed to dock in the capital Valletta. A previous passenger on the MSC Opera (pic below) had tested positive for the virus.

    Elsewhere in Europe on Saturday:

    • Belgium reported 60 new cases, taking the total there to 169
    • In Germany, 684 cases have been recorded - the fifth most of any country - but no deaths
    • The virus has infected people in every region of France, where 613 cases have been recorded. New measures, including the closing of all schools, are set to be rolled out in the two worst affected regions - Oise in the north and Haut-Rhin in the east - from Monday, health officials have said
    The MSC OperaImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    The MSC Opera

  7. Leading Italian politician tests positivepublished at 12:11 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    The president of Italy's Lazio region and secretary of the country's centre-left Democratic Party (PD), Nicola Zingaretti, has tested positive for Covid-19.

    Mr Zingaretti, 54, made the announcement in a video post on Facebook.

    He said: "The doctors have told me that I am positive for Covid-19. I am fine but I will have to stay home for the next few days. From here I will continue to do the work there is to do. Courage to everyone and see you soon!"

    Nicola ZingarettiImage source, Facebook
  8. Funeral named as major source of outbreak in Spainpublished at 11:50 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    A funeral held in northern Spain about two weeks ago has been named as the biggest source of coronavirus in the country, local media have reported., external

    More than 60 people at the ceremony in the Basque capital of Vitoria-Gasteiz, and their close contacts have been infected, according to the National Centre for Microbiology (CNM).

    Meanwhile, the first case of the virus has also been reported inside a Spanish prison.

    Officials have decided to put parts of the prison in Aranjuez - about 12 miles (20km) south of Madrid - into lockdown after a staff member fell ill, according to Spanish news agency EFE.

    In total, there have been 402 cases recorded in the country. Eight people have died.

    Spanish authorities reported the country's first case at the end of January, with the first death on 13 February.

    Map
  9. UK 'on the edge' of sustained transmissionpublished at 11:37 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    The UK is "teetering on the edge" of sustained transmission of coronavirus, one of the country's top medical experts has warned.

    Jennie Harries, England's deputy chief medical officer, told the BBC that the country remained in the "containment" phase but that a decision about the next phase - delaying the spread of the virus - would depend on how fast the number of cases rose.

    She added that measures to slow the virus needed to be "proportionate" and urged consumers not to panic buy.

  10. Cruise ship passengers face anxious waitpublished at 11:21 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    Some more now from the Grand Princess cruise ship which is being held off the coast of California.

    There are 21 confirmed coronavirus cases on board and 19 of them are crew members, officials say.

    Passenger Jackie Bissell, one of the 140 Britons on board, told the BBC that they were told on Thursday there might be a problem. They are now confined to their cabins.

    "You can't go out, you can just go out in the hall if someone taps the door. They put the food outside, drop your menus inside and that's about it," she said.

    Another passenger is Kari Kolstoe, from North Dakota, who has stage-four cancer. She says she is worried that the time in quarantine will delay her next round of chemotherapy, which is due next week. "It's very unsettling," she said in a phone interview.

    The ship is due to be directed to a non-commercial port over the weekend.

    Keri KelstoeImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Kari Kolstoe, from North Dakota, needs treatment for stage-four cancer

  11. Iran reports more confirmed cases and deathspublished at 11:09 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    Iran has just announced that the number of coronavirus cases has risen to 5,823 and that the number of deaths now stands at 145 - an increase of 21.

    However, it is widely believed the official figures are heavily underestimated.

    Earlier, state media said a second MP had died from Covid-19.

  12. Toilet paper wipe-out fears escalatepublished at 10:59 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    It's inspired such hashtags as #ToiletPaperEmergency and #ToiletPaperApocalypse - and the surge in demand for loo roll does not appear to be slowing down.

    One Australian newspaper even printed a jovial eight-page "toilet paper" pullout section this week, for those who may have run out.

    And the frenzy appears to have spread, with barren shelves - where the sought-after paper once sat - appearing around the world including the US and the UK.

    For some, though, the situation has escalated.

    One man was reportedly tasered by police in the country this week, after getting into an argument with staff over the product.

    And a video widely shared online appears to show three women pulling each other's hair in a struggle over a particularly large pack in Sydney.

    But things have worked out well for one couple.

    Chris Janetzki, 35, and Haidee Janetzki, 33, say they accidentally spent A$3,260 (£1,600) on 2,306 rolls last month. And Mrs Janetzki does not look too upset by the error...

    Haidee Janetzi sits on top of her toilet paper throneImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Haidee Janetzi sits on top of her toilet paper throne

    For those who are lacking such a stash and fear a toilet paper shortage, look away now.

    None of the precious cargo survived this fire earlier in the week...

    Media caption,

    Coronavirus in Australia: Lorryload of toilet paper catches fire

    Psychologists and consumer experts have linked the surge in demand on herd mentality, FOMO syndrome - or Fear Of Missing Out - and the convenience of modern lifestyles.

  13. Learning from quarantinepublished at 10:50 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    The BBC has been following Cheryl and Paul Molesky on their journey home from Japan to Syracuse, New York.

    They were passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship when their holiday was interrupted by the coronavirus outbreak.

    Over the next month, they kept their friends and family updated through a video diary.

    Media caption,

    Coronavirus: "The positive things we learnt from quarantine"

  14. Iran reports death of second MPpublished at 10:36 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    Now to another virus hotspot - Iran - where a second MP has reportedly died from Covid-19.

    Fatemeh Rahbar, 55, was a conservative who had recently been elected to parliament from the capital, Tehran, state news agency Irna said.

    Last month, Iran's deputy minister, Iraj Harirchi, and another MP both tested positive for the virus. The MP later died. A high-ranking adviser to the country's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has also died from the disease.

    Iran has reported 124 deaths and 4,747 infections, although the figures are believed to be underestimated. Schools have been closed across the country, and cultural and sporting events cancelled, as the government struggles to contain the outbreak.

    A taxi driver waits for passengers in TehranImage source, EPA
    Image caption,

    A taxi driver waits for passengers in Tehran

  15. How has sport been affected?published at 10:20 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    Cleaners wearing a protective suit, as they sanitise the seats of the San Paolo stadiumImage source, AFP/CIRO FUSCO/ANSA
    Image caption,

    Italy has ordered all major sporting events in the country - including here at Napoli's San Paolo stadium - be held behind closed doors until 3 April

    As the virus spreads around the world, authorities have been taking action by postponing major sporting events which would otherwise bring tens of thousands of people together.

    Here is a brief look at how the virus is affecting the sporting world:

    • Scotland's women's Six Nations match with France which was scheduled for later on Saturday has been postponed after an unnamed home player contracted coronavirus
    • In Denmark, Superliga side Brondby have quarantined 13 people at the club after former Denmark international Thomas Kahlenberg was diagnosed with coronavirus
    • Football fixtures have been postponed in Switzerland, external, China, external, Japan, South Korea and Italy's Serie A
    • French football is the latest to be hit, with runaway leaders Paris St-Germain's Ligue 1 game at Strasbourg being delayed over fears of spreading the virus
    • Meanwhile, UEFA has already announced, external that two European football fixtures, involving sides from Italy and Spain, will be played behind closed doors next week. They are: Atalanta versus Valencia in the Champions League; and Inter Milan versus Getafe, in the Europa League
    • Formula One’s Chinese Grand Prix, which was scheduled to take place in Shanghai on 19 April, has been postponed
    • Basketball star LeBron James said he would not play if NBA chiefs decided games should be played behind closed door. The US league has reportedly told teams to look into strategies on how to play without fans
    • The 2020 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, has been postponed until next year.
    • And doubts have been raised over the future of this year's Olympics in Tokyo. Our sports editor Dan Roan has taken a look at the situation - read more here.
  16. South Korea seals off flatspublished at 10:12 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    An aerial view shows closed apartment buildings after residents were confirmed to have the coronavirus, in DaeguImage source, AFP

    In South Korea, two blocks of flats have been placed under quarantine after dozens of occupants were found to be infected with the coronavirus.

    The buildings are in the city of Daegu and those infected are linked to a religious sect at the centre of South Korea's outbreak, Yonhap news agency reported, external.

    Meanwhile, another 274 more infections have been confirmed nationwide, taking the total to just over 7,000. Most of the new cases are in Daegu.

    Health officials say 44 patients have died across the country and 36 are in critical condition.

  17. How is India faring?published at 09:58 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    Indian men wearing masksImage source, AFP

    It's the second most populous nation in the world and its government said it was among the first nations to prepare for an outbreak.

    But how is India actually doing? Can it stave off a big outbreak?

    There are only a few dozen reported coronavirus cases at the moment but the BBC's Soutik Biswas says the real extent of the spread of the infection may be far from clear...

    Read his latest blog here

  18. Texas festival SXSW cancelledpublished at 09:47 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    SXSW 2020 banner in Austin, TexasImage source, AFP

    The South by Southwest festival, better known as SXSW, has become the latest casualty of the outbreak in the US.

    The music, tech and film festival - one of the most famous in the US - had been due to take place in Austin, Texas, from 13-22 March. Amazon, Netflix and Apple had already pulled out.

    Austin Mayor Steve Adler declared "a local disaster" in response to the coronavirus and said he had "issued an order that effectively cancels South by Southwest for this year".

  19. UK reports second fatalitypublished at 09:36 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    Here's the latest from the UK today.

    The country has reported its second death from the virus, external.

    Milton Keynes University Hospital said the man, who had underlying health conditions, died shortly after testing positive for the virus. The hospital has isolated any patients or staff who were in contact with him.

    The UK's first death - a woman in her 70s - was confirmed on Thursday. A British man also died from the virus last month in Japan after being infected on the Diamond Princess cruise ship. The number of confirmed cases in the UK now stands at 164.

  20. The trapped cancer patient - what happened next?published at 09:23 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2020

    Lu Yuejin crying at the borderImage source, Reuters

    About a month ago, a story came to light that moved people all over the world.

    Pictures of Lu Huejin crying as she tried to get her 26-year-old daughter out of locked-down Hubei province for leukaemia treatment in neighbouring Jiangxi went viral.

    "She needs to have her treatment. But they won't let us through," Ms Lu told two reporters who found her on a bridge of the Yangtze river.

    "All I want to do is save her life."

    The BBC has tracked down the family to find out what happened next.

    Read the story here.