The US Pianese, a football club in the Italian region of Tuscany, has confirmed that three of its players plus one of its staff members have tested positive for coronavirus, according to a statement.
The first case, a football player, was assisted by the team’s doctor after showing symptoms such as fever and headache on Saturday, and was later transferred to Siena’s Hospital, the statement says.
After that, the team “followed the instructions of the Ministry of Health” and the staff was put on quarantine and underwent a swab test.
The results revealed that three more people tested positive: two football players who are asymptomatic and quarantined in their own homes, and a collaborator who was taken to Siena’s hospital by ambulance after spending Thursday night with a high fever.
“As of now, every player, technical staff and managers present at the events of last weekend are in a 15-day fiduciary quarantine, in their own homes, and no one is showing symptoms of the COVID-19”, the club stated on Facebook.
US Pianese’s President, Maurizio Sani, has also put himself on quarantine voluntarily, the statement added.
06:25 PM
62 cases in the US
There are now 62 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in the United States, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a press briefing on Friday.
These include...
44 people who were aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship
3 people repatriated from China
15 US cases
This is an increase from 60 cases reported earlier in the week. Both new cases reported Friday are among Diamond Princess passengers, CNN notes.
06:25 PM
Amazon tells employees to defer all non-essential travel
Amazon.com Inc said all employees should defer non-essential travel including within the United States, in a significant escalation by the world’s largest online retailer to guard against the spread of the coronavirus among its ranks, the Guardian reports.
Dave Clark, senior vice president of worldwide operations, notified employees of the change on Thursday, which Amazon confirmed to Reuters.
06:24 PM
Good evening,
Here's a summary of today's events:
Global case count stands at 83,867 with 2,867 reported deaths
World Health Organization upgraded risk to "very high" but shied away from calling outbreak a pandemic
A British man become the UK's first fatality after contracting the virus on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan
The UK's total now stands at one death and 19 cases after two Britons picked the virus up in Iran and Wales declared its first case this morning
A coronavirus outbreak could disrupt A-level exams, Ofqual has said
South Korea reported 315 additional coronavirus cases on Friday, pushing up the total infections in the country to 2,337
Iceland, Mexico,Nigeria, Azerbaijan, New Zealand, Lithuania and Belarus are the latest countries hit by coronavirus
French mayor confirms case in Nice – France's total now stands at 38
Amsterdam flagged its first case, raising the Netherland's count to two
Germany counts 60 cases in total while Bahrain cases rise to 36
BBC Persian reported 210 deaths in Iran, but the government said otherwise (34 according to official figures)
Italy's cases have topped 888 as 21 people die
FTSE 100 suffered biggest drop since financial crisis this week
The WHO has said that more than 20 coronavirus vaccines are now in development around the world – Anne Gulland has more on how long we'll have to wait here
Pope Francis cancels second day of engagements after falling 'sick'
And a pet dog in Hong Kong tested positive for coronavirus
For more of the latest coronavirus news, be sure to keep following our live blog.
06:11 PM
NI public transport users 'need not be concerned'
People who travelled on public transport between Dublin and Belfast should not be concerned about the risk of Covid-19, the Public Health Agency (PHA) in Northern Ireland has said.
Anybody in close contact with Northern Ireland's first Covid-19 patient has been contacted, health authorities north and south of the border said.
The woman travelled through Dublin Airport on her way home after flying with Aer Lingus from northern Italy with a child.
Dr Jillian Johnston, consultant in health protection at the PHA, said:
"All stages of the individual's journey were identified and those who came into closest contact have been traced and contacted with public health advice and guidance.
"I would emphasise that members of the public who have travelled between Dublin and Belfast using public transport need not be concerned.
"Contact tracing is an effective and efficient method carried out by the PHA to help prevent the further spread of infections such as Covid-19."
06:10 PM
Iran officials reject BBC's death count
A spokesman for Iran's health ministry has rejected BBC Persian's report that at least 210 have died from the coronavirus in the country.
It comes as many report concerns that Iran may be trying to cover up the extent of the outbreak.
According to government officials, only 34 people have died while 388 are infected.
06:06 PM
Coronavirus fears threatening to spark stockpiling and panic buying
Consumer experts predict panic buying will "become rife" if the numbers of Britons suffering from coronavirus begin to rise.
Patrick Sawer, Helena Horton and Yohannes Lowehave more here.
06:05 PM
Today – in pictures
Pupils leave an elementary school in Tokyo after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the government would request all schools in Japan to close until April
Pupils leave an elementary school in Tokyo, which was abruptly declared the last day of the school year after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the government would request all schools in Japan to close - B434
Health personnel assist guests as they leave the quarantined H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel on the Canary Island of Tenerife, Spain
Health personnel wearing protection clothing assist guests as they leave the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel in La Caleta, in the Canary Island of Tenerife, Spain - Joan Mateu / AP
Chefs at Pasticceria Mangini 1876 in Genova Italy created coronavirus-themed biscuits in an attempt to make light of the country's widespread contagion
Chefs at Pasticceria Mangini 1876 in Genova Italy have created coronavirus-themed biscuits in an attempt to make light of the widespread contagion, and have sold hundreds in the space of a few days - Caters News Agency
05:55 PM
Can pets get coronavirus?
A woman wearing a face mask holds her dog, also wearing a face mask, in China - ALEX PLAVEVSKI/EPA-EFE/REX
As a dog tests 'weak positive' for Covid-19 in Hong Kong, Guy Kelly explains what this means for the wider pet community.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that people were right to be concerned about the virus but the best thing they could do was regularly wash their hands with soap and water.
He added:
"I just really want to repeat the advice of the chief medical officers, which I think is the best thing to get across - the most valuable thing we can all do to prevent the spread of the coronavirus is to wash our hands for 20 seconds or more with hot water and soap.
"That's the best single piece of advice we can give.
"I think people are right to be concerned and they are right to want to take every possible precaution, and we will in the course of the next few days be issuing further advice about how to respond and how we will be deal with any potential outbreak."
05:49 PM
Catholic clergy in Ireland to limit physical contact
The Church of Ireland has said the sign of peace should be suspended amid concerns about Covid-19.
It follows advice issued from the Catholic Church to priests and those attending mass across Ireland following the first case of coronavirus to be detected.
A spokesman for the Church of Ireland said: "Physical interaction during services, including the Sign of Peace, should be suspended.
"Clergy may choose to give the congregation permission to carry out an alternative sign of peace that does not involve hand contact (e.g. a smile, nod or bow) if so wished.
"Shaking hands on greeting and departure at religious services/gatherings should be suspended. Observe good hand and general hygiene - thorough hand-washing with soap or sanitisers and disposal of tissues."
The guideline add that service-goers should stay at home if they feel ill and display influenza-like symptoms, and to not come to church services until they feel well.
05:48 PM
Schools continue to close
A number of schools across the country will continue deep-cleaning over the weekend, as authorities fight the spread of coronavirus, the Press Association reports.
At least 10 primary and secondary schools have been closed over the last week, as the country's top medic said long-term closures would be a possibility during a pandemic of Covid-19.
Moorlands infant and junior schools in Bath closed for the first time on Friday, after a member of the school community developed symptoms after travelling abroad.
Acting head teacher Warrick Barton said in a statement:
"I hope that you will understand that I have taken this decision with children's health as the first priority, as well as the health of the whole school community.
"This is very much a precautionary measure, but one that puts children first."
The ill person is said to have been to a "category two" country in the last 14 days, which could include China (but not Wuhan city or Hubei province), northern Italy, Japan or Singapore, among others.
Burbage Primary School in Buxton, Derbyshire,Cransley School in Cheshire and Trinity Catholic College in Middlesbrough where also among the schools forced to closed this week.
In the middle of the week, Public Health England (PHE) advised schools to stay open, with medical director Paul Cosford saying:
"Schools have to face difficult decisions, given the complexity of issues that they are facing.
"What I would say is that our general advice is not to close schools."
However, when asked about what public safety steps would be taken in the UK if the illness becomes a pandemic, Chief Medical Officer of England and Wales Professor Chris Whitty later said schools may face long-term closure.
05:45 PM
'Coronavirus now Government's top priority'
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the coronavirus was now the Government's top priority.
He told Sky News on Friday that he had met with the Health Secretary and chief medical officers to discuss the preparations.
He said:
"On the issue of coronavirus, which obviously is a great concern to people, I just want to reassure everybody and say that the NHS is making every possible preparation.
"As you can imagine, the issue of coronavirus is something that is now the Government's top priority.
"I have just had a meeting with the chief medical officer and Secretary of State for Health talking about the preparations that we need to make."
05:41 PM
210 people die in Iran
At least 210 people are thought to have died from coronavirus in multiple cities in Iran, the BBC has reported via Persian hospital sources.
More as we get it.
05:41 PM
More from Nigeria...
Nigeria's first coronavirus case is an Italian man who works as a vendor providing services for LaFarge, a French industrial company specialising in building materials and solutions, it has emerged.
The man had travelled from Lagos from Milan via Istanbul. Before his diagnosis, he also traveled to the neighbouring state of Ogun.
In a statement, Ogun's state governor said that 29 people who came in contact with the Italian man have been quarantined.
05:34 PM
Update from Italy: 888 cases, four more deaths
Good evening from Andrea Vogt at the end of a very intense work week of Coronavirus developments here in Italy.
We have just heard from Italy's Civil Protection authorities who announced that the number of positive cases of coronavirus in Italy has risen to 888, while the country has registered 21 deaths.
This is a sharp uptick in the last 24 hours from the 650 communicated Thursday at the same time.
The good news? 46 people have fully recovered.
Earlier this afternoon Lombardy officials held a separate press conference to discuss what was happening there.
The news was quite dramatic, with Lombardy confirming 531 positive cases, 235 of which were hospitalised. At least two hospitals, Lodi and Cremona, are struggling with overcrowding and lack of space for new patients.
05:32 PM
'Coronavirus outbreak shows the real limits of a borderless EU'
The seemingly unstoppable spread of coronavirus has seen an ever-increasing number of Europeans coughing and sneezing. For EU apparatchiks, this disease may be about to cause a headache of a very different sort.
Coronavirus threatens not just public health, but also the very fundamentals of the EU system of free movement, and its Schengen Area that – in theory at least – provide for borderless travel across member states.
The ever-expanding crisis makes it seem inevitable that border controls will be needed once more, writes Bobby Friedman.
FTSE 100 suffered biggest drop since financial crisis this week
Fear of the unknown surrounding the coronavirus outbreak has caused a global bloodbath this week with the FTSE 100 suffering its biggest one-week drop since financial crisis.
London's benchmark index dived a total of 11.3pc this week, wiping more than £210bn off the value of Britain's leading shares.
It lost £53bn during today's trading session, closing at 6,580.61 points, a fall of 3.18pc.
Around $6 trillion has been wiped off the value of global shares across the past week, amid fears stocks may be be entering a so-called ‘bear market’.
05:18 PM
More than 20 coronavirus vaccines are in development around the world, WHO says
There are dozens of coronavirus vaccines in development and being studied across the globe, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said during a press briefing in Geneva on Friday.
Tedros said that work is “progressing” on the development of vaccines and therapeutics.
“More than 20 vaccines are in development globally, and several therapeutics are in clinical trials. We expect the first results in a few weeks."
In the meantime, Dr Tedros said there are many things every individual can do to protect themselves and others, including – as illustrated in the Tweet below – maintaining good levels of personal hygiene:
Northern Ireland's health minister Robin Swann said 93 tests have so far been completed, with one presumed to be positive.
It comes after a person in Northern Ireland tested positive after travelling with Air Lingus from Italy to Dublin.
Mr Swann he was reassured that the planning of the past four to five weeks, maybe even longer, at a UK level and dealing with counterparts in the Republic of Ireland had been effective.
He added:
"In response, our health service and our health systems can actually step up.
"I am reassured that the professionals we have in the health system are well-placed to cope with the eventuality that may come."
People who sat within two rows of Northern Ireland's first coronavirus have been contacted, health authorities said earlier today.
The health minister confirmed that tracing those who may have had contact with the patient was at an advanced stage and would soon be completed.
"I have been reassured in the Public Health Agency (PHA) today that anyone who was at high-risk and may have been in contact with the individual, last night has been contacted."
05:03 PM
Potential disruption to A-level exams
The exam regulator for England, says it is considering how to manage the dangers of a coronavirus outbreak disrupting this summer’s GCSE and A-level exams.
Students are due to sit A-levels in May and June, but a widespread coronavirus outbreak during this period could mean that, in worst-case scenarios, students and staff may be unable to take the exams due to illness or quarantine restrictions.
In a statement Ofqual said:
“We are working closely with awarding organisations and the Department for Education to consider how to manage any particular risks to the smooth running of exams and assessments should there be a widespread outbreak of coronavirus.
“We will update our existing guidance to reflect any specific arrangements schools and colleges should put in place if required. In the meantime, students, schools and colleges should continue to prepare for the summer exams and assessments as usual.”
A-levels and GCSEs are taken in the second week of May until the middle of June, while results are published in August.
Disruption to A-level exams could pose complications for those looking to progress on to university, especially as many institutions rely on students producing specific exam results to meet their offers.
04:55 PM
Coronavirus fallout could spark a recession
From the quiet tills in Oxford’s Bicester village to idle Australian fishing fleets, the coronavirus is leaving its scars on the economy in the UK and around the world, our economics editor Russel Linch argues.
"We are aware that there was a dog that tested weakly positive with Covid-19", said Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, head of the World Health Organization's Outbreak Investigation Task Force, at a press briefing earlier today.
However, it remains to be seen whether the dog is in fact a carrier of the novel coronavirus, she said:
"We’re working with authorities that are testing these animals to see if the dog was actually infected or if it picked it up from a contaminated surface."
04:38 PM
WHO: Nigeria is ready
Speaking at the World Health Organization's daily briefing, Dr Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO Health Emergencies Programme, said that Nigeria is doing as well any other competent nation in containing the virus.
Nigeria logged its first case earlier today.
Speaking in response to the news that an Italian man who traveled from Milan to Lagos via Istanbul had tested positive Dr Ryan said:
"Nigeria has been fighting measles, cholera, lassa fever and monkey pocks.
"Nigeria has a well tested mechanism for dealing with these infectious pathogens.
"That is not to say that there is not risk, Nigeria is a vast country and it has lots of vulnerable people, especially in the north and a lot of refugees.
"[But] the same labs that can do lassa fever testing can now transfer and do Covid-19 diagnostics.
"We've invested in the power of preparedness.'
04:31 PM
It would be a mistake to surrender to a pandemic, WHO says
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), warned that it would be a mistake to change the definition of the coronavirus epidemic to a pandemic.
Speaking at the WHO's daily press briefing he said:
"It will be a big mistake.
"Why are we suggesting that we surrender to a pandemic when we have only 5,000 cases over 46 countries?"
It comes as the WHO raised its global risk level to "very high" on Friday.
Despite the change, Dr Mike Ryan – executive director of WHO Health Emergencies Programme – was, however, keen to stress that the outbreak had not got out of hand:
"A pandemic is a unique situation where all citizens on the planet will be exposed to a virus in a defined period of time
If this was influenza, we would have probably have called this as a pandemic by now but what we've seen of this virus is that with containment measures and a robust public health response the course of this epidemic or multiple epidemics can be significantly altered.
"To declare a pandemic; it is unhelpful to do that when you're still trying to contain a disease."
Raising the risk assessment is really a "reality check for every government on the planet," he added. "[It says] wake up and get ready, you have a duty to your citizens, you have a duty to the world. It’s not much of an excuse at this point to be caught out"
04:17 PM
How long will we have to wait for a coronavirus vaccine?
One of the first questions asked when an infectious disease pandemic is looming is: “Is there a vaccine for this?”
The short answer is “no”.
But the longer answer is that the world has never been more geared up to develop vaccines against emerging infectious diseases than it is today.
Anne Gulland, deputy editor of the Telegraph's global health desk, explains more here.
04:01 PM
Iceland is latest country hit by coronavirus
Officials have confirmed that the virus had reached the subarctic island after a man in his forties, who had recently returned from a trip to northern Italy, tested positive coronavirus.
The man was placed in isolation at the National University Hospital of Iceland, after a test confirmed the infection around 1 pm local time (1300 GMT), Iceland's department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management said in a statement.
"The man is not seriously ill but shows typical symptoms of the COVID-19 disease," they added.
The man had recently visited northern Italy but had been outside the designated risk areas
Authorities said that efforts were underway to trace the infection path of the virus, as well as anyone exposed to it from the Icelandic patient.
03:49 PM
Catholic churches issued advice to prevent coronavirus spread
The Catholic Church has issued advice to priests and those attending mass across Ireland following the first case of coronavirus to be detected.
Information which has been circulated today to all clergy includes advice to suspend the sign of peace, which includes the shaking of hands during services.
It also advises that during mass only the celebrant should receive from the chalice, Holy Communion should be administered into the hands only and not onto the tongue, that holy water fonts should be drained and not used, and that those administering Holy Communion should wash their hands with particular care before and after the distribution.
Parishes have also been asked to consider providing alcohol-based hand sanitiser gels/facilities at all entrance and exit doors to the church, and also to ensure the regular cleaning of surfaces in the church that people touch such as door handles, tables etc.
The measures have been described as "preventative and should not in any way raise any existing levels of concern".
03:37 PM
Virus risk upgraded by World Health Organization
The UN health agency on Friday upgraded the global risk from the new coronavirus to "very high", saying the continued increase in cases and countries affected was "clearly of concern".
"We have now increased our assessment of the risk of spread and the risk of impact of COVID-19 to very high at global level," World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.
03:22 PM
British Airways swamped with customer calls about coronavirus
British Airways has been inundated with calls from customers over fears about the fallout from coronavirus.
Willie Walsh, boss of the airline’s owner IAG, revealed about two in five inquiries to call centres came from panicked passengers this week.
His comments came as the FTSE 100 company, which also owns Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling, warned the City that the virus outbreak meant it was “not possible to give accurate profit guidance” for the upcoming year.
Trouble ahead for Trump if coronavirus grips America
Donald Trump, who has asked voters to judge his first term by the health of the economy when they go to the polls in November, has claimed a wider outbreak of Covid-19 is far from inevitable.
“It could be at a very small level or it could be at a larger level. Whatever happens, we’re totally prepared,” he said on Wednesday.
But as California monitors more than 8,400 people who arrived on commercial flights for symptoms – one of whom appears to have caught the virus on home soil – US health officials have told Americans to brace for the spread of coronavirus Stateside.
Our economics reporter Lizzy Burden has more here.
03:07 PM
Northern Ireland case travel from Italy to Dublin with Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus has confirmed that the person from Northern Ireland infected with Covid-19 travelled on the airline to Dublin airport.
In a statement the airline said:
"Aer Lingus can confirm that the patient in Northern Ireland who has been diagnosed with the Covid-19 virus travelled with the airline from northern Italy to Dublin.
"Aer Lingus is co-operating fully with the HSE in relation to the Covid-19 developments and is liaising with the Department of Foreign Affairs, other government departments and the relevant authorities as required.
"Aer Lingus will continue to assess the situation based on the guidance received."
03:00 PM
Coronavirus could topple Liverpool's Premier League crown
There is no guarantee Liverpool would be crowned Premier League champions if the season was curtailed by the coronavirus, Telegraph Sport can reveal.
The rapid spread of the virus has raised the prospect of the Government ordering the cancellation of all sporting events in the UK for more than two months, something that could mean some fixtures never being played.
Were the Premier League season not completed, it is likely crisis talks would take place to determine whether previous results would be allowed to stand or whether the entire campaign was rendered null and void.
Latest count stands at 83,774 cases with 2,867 deaths.
Coronavirus live map
02:41 PM
UAE cycling tour may have been called off 'prematurely'
The UAE Tour may have been called off prematurely, it emerged on Friday morning, with sources suggesting to Telegraph Sport that at least one of the two ‘positive’ tests for coronavirus reported on Thursday night had in fact come back negative.
After taking the decision to cancel the race late on Thursday night, race promoters Abu Dhabi Sports Council issued a statement saying that there had been two “confirmed” cases of coronavirus involving staff members on one of the teams.
However, the UCI, cycling’s world governing body, issued their own statement on Friday lunchtime saying that the race had been cancelled due to “suspected” positive tests.
The 23-year-old woman was admitted to a special isolation unit in the hospital in Nice after testing positive for the Covid-19 virus on Friday following a visit to Milan in Lombardy, the Guardian reports.
It's thought that the woman is from Cannes – making her case the first in the Côté d’Azur region.
David Lisnard, the mayor of Cannes, said the woman’s condition was “satisfactory”.
Meanwhile, the authorities are waiting for the results of tests on a second person from the area.
02:28 PM
Coronavirus hits Nigeria – in pictures
A woman walks by the Yaba Mainland hospital where the first Nigerian victims of the COVID-19 virus are being treated in Lagos, Nigeria
A woman wearing a face mask walks at the Yaba Mainland hospital where the first Nigerian victims of the COVID-19 virus are being treated in Lagos, Nigeria - Sunday Alamba / AP
A woman stands in a courtyard of the Yaba Mainland hospital in Lagos, Nigeria
A woman wearing a face mask walks at the Yaba Mainland hospital where the first Nigerian victims of the COVID-19 virus are being treated in Lagos Nigeria - Sunday Alamba / AP
Nigeria's Minister for Health Osagie Ehanire displays an image of the the novel coronavirus as he address the media regarding the first case of the virus confirmed in Nigeria during a press briefing in Abuja
Nigeria's Minister for Health Osagie Ehanire displays an image of the the novel coronavirus COVID-19 as he address the media regarding the first case of the virus confirmed in Nigeria during a press briefing in Abuja - KOLA SULAIMON / AFP
02:24 PM
Moscow to deport 88 foreign nationals
Around 88 foreign national will be deported from Moscow after they are reported to have violated coronavirus quarantine, the deputy mayor of Moscow as announced.
02:20 PM
Help has been offered to Iran, US says
The United States has offered to help Iran with the coronavirus response, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said.
It comes after the Trump administration eased sanctions on the country on Thursday to allow trade in medical supplies and food.
Tehran is currently struggling to bring on the country's coronavirus outbreak to heel, which has so far killed 34 and infected 388.
The Treasury Department issued a general license exemption for trade in humanitarian goods through Iran’s central bank, while also finalising a humanitarian trade agreement with Switzerland.
The agreement should allow the Swiss to export humanitarian goods to Iran without fear of incurring US sanctions penalties.
02:06 PM
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe suffering a cold amid coronavirus fears
The husband of a British-Iranian woman jailed in Iran said he fears for his wife after she developed a "cold" amid reports coronavirus had spread into the prison, the Press Association reports.
Richard Ratcliffe said conditions in the Evin prison in Tehran where Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is held have been "worsening" over the past few months.
Lack of medicine, disinfectant, bleach and antiseptic in prison shops has forced prisoners to depend on washing liquid to stay clean, while the guards enjoy a supply of essentials, he said.
The 41-year-old Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who already suffers from unexplained collapses due to irregular heartbeats, has a cold, a "severe" sore throat and wakes up shivering.
Mr Ratcliffe now fears she may be at risk of contracting Covid-19, which has already claimed 34 lives in the country.
His comments come after Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said that, while the Iranian authorities have denied any outbreak of coronavirus at the prison, he would "not always take as authoritative" such remarks.
Writing for the i newspaper, Mr Ratcliffe said:
"On Monday we heard reports of cases, on Tuesday of a ward evacuated as a quarantine area.
"By Wednesday there were rumours of prisoners losing their life, as there had been in other prisons across the country.
"By Thursday, the judiciary was announcing plans to send eligible prisoners home temporarily.
"From far away it is hard to assess the risk calmly in Nazanin's case - knowing we are not being told the truth is not the same as knowing what the truth is. But this week the panic grew."
02:03 PM
Princess Cruises offer condolences
Following the news of the death of a British passenger from the novel coronavirus, a Princess Cruises spokesperson said:
"All of us at Princess Cruises, including the crew of Diamond Princess, offer our sincere condolences to family members and friends for their loss. Our dedicated Care team are on hand to provide support."
01:59 PM
Equities slump could increase damage to UK economy from virus
Some interesting analysis from Oxford Economics’ Andrew Goodwin, who says this week’s equities slump “has opened a new channel through which the coronavirus outbreak could weigh on the UK economy”.
In a note to clients, he said:
If sustained, the tightening of financial conditions would amplify the negative impact on UK growth from lower tourism and supply chain disruption. But there is potential for a strong rebound in equity prices if markets’ worst fears are not realised.
This China fund is the top performer despite the coronavirus panic
Chinese stocks are not on the agenda for most investors, with coronavirus meaning many have lost their appetite, but one fund investing in the region has quietly become this year's top performing portfolio.
The fund's returns have dumbfounded analysts as most of the world's markets are in the red so far in 2020. Markets have struggled amid fears of an economic slowdown caused by Covid-19 restricting people and global trade.
However, this fund has made investors 18pc since the start of the year.
Airline refuses to fly home Britons from quarantined Tenerife hotel
British tourists face being stranded in Tenerife after major airline Jet2 said it will not fly anyone back until they have tested negative for coronavirus.
The holidaymakers have been told they can instead remain at the four-star H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel for the whole of the two-week quarantine period.
A Jet2 spokesperson said:
"We will not fly any customer who has stayed at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace during the quarantine, until this incubation period has passed or unless they have been explicitly tested for COVID-19 by a recognised authority and are confirmed as clear of the virus.
"Our responsibility to our customers, our colleagues and the general public remains paramount."
The US Food and Drug Administration has released a new illustration of the Covid-19 coronavirus:
The US Food and Drug Administration has released a new illustration of the novel Covid-19 coronavirus - AFP
01:50 PM
What is a pandemic and what happens if one is declared?
With more and more cases emerging in Europe – and a rapid rise in infections in South Korea and the Middle East – some virologists are warning that the coronavirus, or Covid-19, is now at "pandemic" stage.
But what does this mean and what are the implications?
When asked how close the UK was to cancelling big events due to the the virus, Health Minister Jo Churchill said:
"We are taking the advice of the Chief Medical Officer and assessing the situation on a day-by-day basis.
"Any decision to cancel events or mass gatherings have to be assessed at the time, based on clinical guidance and based on risk."
01:43 PM
There is nothing irrational about the coronavirus panic – it will change the world as we know it
We can dismiss what’s going on as alarmist nonsense if we like, but when dealing with the unknown, panic and overreaction is a perfectly rational response, argues the Telegraph's assistant editor Jeremy Warner.
A patient in recovery from Covid-19 donates plasma in Zouping, China's eastern Shandong province
A person, who has recovered from the COVID-19 coronavirus infection, donates plasma in Zouping in China's eastern Shandong province - STR / AFP
Inter Milan and Ludogorets Razgrad at San Siro Stadium in Milan was held behind closed doors to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus currently gripping Italy and many more countries across the world
Inter Milan's Cristiano Biraghi (R) kicking to score a goal during during the UEFA Europa league round of 32 second-leg football match between Inter Milan and Ludogorets Razgrad at San Siro Stadium in Milan on February 27, 2020. - The match was held behind closed doors as a safety measure due to the spread of COVID-19 - EMILIO ANDREOLI / AFP
Spectators wear protective masks during the Isabel Marant fashion show in Paris
Spectators wear protective masks during the Isabel Marant fashion collection during Women's fashion week Fall/Winter 2020/21 presented in Paris - Michel Euler / AP
01:33 PM
Iran closes schools
Iran's health minister has announced that all schools in the country will be closed from Saturday to Tuesday due to the coronavirus outbreak, Reuters reports.
01:31 PM
Briton was 'very poorly'
Health Minister Jo Churchill has said she was aware a British man who had been on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship was "very poorly".
She told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme:
"The Foreign Office are supporting the family of a British man who has been very poorly and was a passenger on board the Diamond Princess.
"I haven't had confirmation, because obviously I'm on the telephone to you, but I was aware there was a gentleman who was very, very poorly, and I'm sure like me your thoughts and sympathies go out to his family at this time."
01:30 PM
Mexico confirms first case
Mexico's deputy health minister has confirmed the country's first known case of coronavirus, Reuters reports.
The confirmation comes after Mexico announced that reviewing a suspected coronavirus infection earlier today.
The man is said to have recently travelled to Italy.
His diagnosis makes it the first case to be confirmed in Mexico and the second in Latin America.
01:27 PM
More news on Welsh case...
Dr Frank Atherton, chief medical officer for Wales, said the first patient there had returned from a holiday last weekend. He told the PA news agency:
"It's an individual case so there's a lot we can't say due to patient confidentiality but it is a patient who had travelled and was holidaying in Italy and who came back and became unwell.
"They undertook an assessment and took some swabs and the swabs proved to be positive yesterday, late evening."
Dr Atherton said the patient is a man who is now being treated in one of the specialist centres in an English hospital.
He continued:
"The patient is being managed in one of those facilities and the reason for that is the first cases in the UK are being managed through that while we're learning about the virus, so he's being managed in a specialist unit in England."
He refused to confirm reports the patient is linked to the Swansea area.
01:26 PM
Kenya enforces 21-day quarantine
Kenya has reportedly enforced a 21-day compulsory quarantine for travellers coming from areas affected by the coronavirus, Reuters reports.
There are no known cases of the virus in the country thus far.
01:23 PM
Iran vows to "surprise the world" by defeating coronavirus as Friday prayers cancelled
Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki has said that the Islamic Republic would "surprise the world" with its way of dealing with the spread of the new coronavirus, which the authorities say has claimed at least 26 lives in the country.
The official accounts put the number of infected at 388, although this may rise today.
For the first time in decades, Friday prayers have been cancelled in 23 provincial capitals out of 31 as Iran takes new measures to contain the virus's spread.
Among the casualties of the virus are at least two nurses, 25-year-old Narges Khanalizadeh who died in the northern city of Rasht and Ramin Azizifar in Tehran.
Amid fears that Iran was attempting to cover up the full scale of the outbreak, reports on social media suggested that security forces had collected the phones of medical personnel in Kamkar Hospital of Qom - which is being used for coronavirus patients' treatment - and said they can only make emergency necessary calls with the security's permission.
David G Rose reports from Beirut.
01:20 PM
No coronavirus please, we're British!
Keep calm and carry on: it's the British way, writes Naomi Southwell in a tongue-and-cheek analysis of the current coronavirus outbreak.
Straighten your bowler hat and hike up your stockings, because you're in for a laugh here.
01:12 PM
Coronavirus fear shuts major London law firm
More than 1,000 employees at a major London law firm have been told to work from home after fears of a coronavirus outbreak, our senior reporter Patrick Sawer writes.
Staff at the London office of City firm Baker McKenzie were asked not to come into their offices after a colleague recently fell ill on returning from northern Italy.
It comes after global media communications agency OMD shut its central London offices while one of its employees who travelled through Singapore was tested for coronavirus.
The oil giant Chevron shut its offices in Canary Wharf earlier this week and asked traders and other staff to work from home as a precaution after an employee was tested for the coronavirus.
Baker McKenzie said in a statement:
“Our priority is the health and wellbeing of our people and our clients and we have asked our London office employees to work from home for the time being while we are taking precautionary measures in response to a potential case of the COVID-19.
“We have a well-established agile working programme - including technology and IT systems for home working - which allows us to take these precautionary measures without impacting our client service delivery. We continue to closely monitor the situation and are following the advice and guidance issued by the government and Public Health England.”
01:10 PM
BREAKING: British cruise ship passenger is reported to have died
A British man on board a cruise ship in Japan has died from coronavirus, the Press Association reports.
The Japanese Ministry of Health said the man was the sixth person to have died on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which has been quarantined off the coast of Japan.
He is the first Briton to have died from coronavirus, also known as Covid-19.
We'll bring you more as we know it.
01:07 PM
The dos and don'ts of coronavirus self-isolation
With the government backing a policy of self-isolation to tackle the spread of the coronavirus, Ben Gartside explains how to do it successfully here.
01:06 PM
'Coronavirus might not get your health, but it will still hit you where it hurts'
While you’ll probably be safe from coronavirus, your money has almost certainly already been affected writes the Telegraph's head of personal finance Lauren Davidson.
Britain should brace for economic hit from coronavirus, Carney warns
Mark Carney has warned that Britain should brace for an economic hit as the fallout of the coronavirus continues to unfold.
The outgoing Bank of England Governor said it was too early to gauge the scale of the impact, but the central bank had already detected a tightening in supply chains that could suggest a downgrade.
The Bank expects world growth to take a hit, which would have a knock-on effect on Britain, Mr Carney told Sky News.
“There's less tourism - as you can see on our streets here in the UK,” he said.
“That's lower activity as well. But the most important thing is to make sure the system is functioning. We're very confident about that and we're on top of it."
Our economics reporter Lizzy Burden has the full story here.
01:04 PM
London Marathon organisers 'closely monitoring' risk
London Marathon organisers says they are "closely monitoring" the potential risk of coronavirus after a string of international sporting events were thrown into turmoil.
Concern has been mounting over the race in April after the number of entrants to the Tokyo marathon was restricted. Instead of 38,000 taking part this weekend, organisers have restricted the field to just 176 elite athletes and 30 wheelchair athletes.
A major outbreak of the virus in Northern Italy has already taken a heavy toll on sporting events in Europe this week, with the Ireland-Italy Six Nations match postponed and several Serie A matches being played behind-closed-doors.
Our sports news correspondent Tom Morgan has more here.
01:02 PM
Good afternoon
Here's a round up of today's events so far...
Case count stands at 83,774 while death toll reaches 2,867
UK cases reach 19 as Wales declares first case and two more test positive in England
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to chair a Cobra contingencies committee on Monday
Pope Francis cancels second day of engagements after falling 'sick'
A pet dog in Hong Kong has tested positive for coronavirus
Chris Froome is to be tested for coronavirus after two Italians contracted the infection at a major cycling race in the United Arab Emirates
French mayor confirms case in Nice, France's total now stands at 38
Amsterdam flagged its first case, raising the Netherland's count to two
Germany counts 60 cases in total while Bahrain cases rise to 36
Nigeria logged its first case: an Italian man who traveled from Milan via Istanbul
Iran says 34 people have now died and 388 are infected
South Korea reported 315 additional coronavirus cases on Friday, pushing up the total infections in the country to 2,337
Azerbaijan, New Zealand, Lithuania and Belarus also logged their first case
For more of the latest coronavirus news, be sure to keep following our live blog.
12:46 PM
Coronavirus risks leaving gig workers in limbo
Workers in the gig economy are being "abandoned" and left penniless if they have to self-isolate because of the threat of coronavirus, a leading trade union has argued.
The GMB said gig economy workers, or those on zero-hours contacts, who have to self-isolate, are often left with no wages and little support from their employer, the Press Association reports.
Growing numbers of workers are employed on zero-hours contracts, or in the gig economy, ranging from delivery drivers to cleaners.
The union said a recent case saw a delivery driver contacted by a customer who considered themselves high risk.
The driver told the company who instructed her not to come back into work - meaning she would have no wages until she was given the all-clear.
The GMB said the company backed down after it intervened, but claimed that increasing numbers of gig economy workers are suffering the same fate.
National officer Mick Rix said:
"The threat of coronavirus is a huge problem for employers and workers across the UK.
"But workers in the so-called gig economy, or on zero-hours contracts, are left abandoned and penniless if they have to self-isolate.
"Once again the bogus self-employment model is screwing over the disadvantaged.
"GMB is calling on all employers - regardless of the contract - to do the right thing and pay their workers if they have to take time off due to the global health crisis."
12:37 PM
WATCH: Coronavirus travel advice
Could the outbreak affect your holiday plans? Travel editor Claire Irvin and consumer champion Katie Morley answer your questions around travel and coronavirus.
12:29 PM
Rescue ship quarantined
Charity heads have accused Italian authorities of enforcing discriminatory quarantine actions after a search and rescue ship was forced to isolate in Sicily following the disembarkation of 276 people rescued at sea.
The Ocean Viking, which is operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and SOS MEDITERRANEE, has been anchored off Sicily for nearly five days.
The humanitarian NGO maintains that crew have complied with all measures and that none of its team have reported symptoms, but authorities have yet to lift the enforced quarantine directive.
Michael Fark, MSF Head of Mission for search and rescue in the Mediterranean and for Libya, said:
"Quarantining the Ocean Viking is equivalent to stopping an ambulance in the middle of an emergency. This is a discriminatory action – the only vessels that have been put into quarantine are those conducting rescues.
"Although we have fully complied with the preventive measures, we currently have no reason to suspect any of the crew onboard as having contracted, or having been exposed to, the virus.
"It is urgent for the Ocean Viking to go back to sea to rescue men, women and children from drowning.
"The legitimate public health concerns posed by Covid-19 should not be used to justify the prevention of saving lives as sea."
12:20 PM
Historic Catholic Swiss mass cancelled
A bastion of the Swiss Reformation has had to cancel hosting the first Catholic mass for 500 years in Geneva due to coronavirus fears, our France correspondent Henry Samuel reports.
Father Pascal Desthieux was due on Saturday to celebrate the historic mass at St Pierre's cathedral in Geneva - the first for a Catholic since 1535, when clergymen were chased out and statues and treasures looted.
The cathedral went on to become a centre of the Protestant Reformation, led by John Calvin.
Father Desthieux had planned to express "respect and gratitude" to Protestant friends for hosting it and to apologise on behalf of all the Catholics who had "disrespected, misjudged and condemned" Protestants over the centuries.
However, he told the Telegraph that the canton had just banned all gatherings of more than 1,000 people. "We were expecting up to 1,500 so we are postponing this event," he said.
He said that it was hoped it would now go ahead on May 30 before Whit Monday.
Pastor Emmanuel Fuchs, head of the Protestant Church in Geneva had described the mass as a way of moving forward "on the path of reconciliation". "We cannot remain prisoners of history. History has to elevate us, not keep us in a straitjacket," he said.
Father Desthieux also said his prayers were with Pope Francis who had fallen ill after leading Mass in Rome.
12:10 PM
Bahrain cases rise to 36
Bahrain has logged three new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the country's total up to 36, Bahrain News Agency reports.
12:08 PM
China bans Plague Inc
A viral video game about a global pandemic has been banned in China for "illegal content", its Bristol-based creators have said, as the number of coronavirus cases continues to spiral.
The game, called Plague Inc and developed by Ndemic Creations, was pulled from the Chinese App Store, where it had topped the charts amid growing panic about the disease.
Plague is a strategy game that sees users attempt to 'bring about the end of human history' by evolving a disease into a global pandemic that can’t be contained - FLORENCE LO / REUTERS
The game involves players attempting to "bring about the end of human history" by evolving a disease "whilst adapting against everything humanity can do to defend itself".
Plague Inc was made eight years ago, but has surged in popularity in China in recent months. Last month, Ndemic issued a statement reminding users Plague was a game and "not a scientific model".
If you are actually worried about the spread of germs and diseases on public transport, then it's time you read our handy guide to avoiding hotspots here.
11:55 AM
Pope Francis cancels second day of engagements after falling 'sick'
Pope Francis takes part in the penitential procession on Ash Wednesday in Rome, Italy - Remo Casilli / Reuters
Pope Francis has cancelled official audiences for a second day in a row after being taken ill.
The Vatican said the 83-year-old pontiff celebrated morning Mass as usual and greeted participants at the end. He planned to keep his private meeting schedule as planned, but decided to cancel the official audiences.
The Vatican refused to reveal what he has come down with, but he was coughing and blowing his nose during Ash Wednesday Mass this week.
11:48 AM
Geneva motor show 'cancelled' in wake of Swiss events ban
The Geneva motor show looks certain to be the next victim of the coronavirus outbreak after the Swiss government banned “all public and private” events involving more than 1,000 people.
The automotive event - one of the biggest events in the industry’s calendar - had been due to open on Tuesday.
During its planned two-week run at the Palexpo centre, more than 500,000 attendees had been expected.
Our Industry editor Alan Tovey has all the details here.
11:39 AM
Milan to Istanbul to Lagos: tracking the movements of Nigeria's first case
Nigeria's first coronavirus cases is said to have arrived on a Turkish Airlines flight via Istanbul from Milan, Lagos state commissioner for health has said.
The patient is also reported to have visited Ogun state (next to Lagos, Nigeria) before receiving their diagnosis.
News of their movements has no doubt alarmed health experts around the world, given how contagious the virus has already proven to be.
11:31 AM
PM to chair Cobra committee on Monday
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to chair a meeting of the Government's Cobra contingencies committee on the coronavirus outbreak on Monday, Downing Street has said.
"The Prime Minister is keen to chair Cobra on Monday to ensure that everything that can be done is being done," a No 10 spokesman said.
The Prime Minister spent four hours visiting Kettering Hospital during the night shift on Thursday night, the spokesman said.
During his visit he spent time discussing preparations for dealing with the Covid-19 outbreak with senior clinicians.
11:29 AM
WATCH: ‘Schools should remain open,’ says minister
Schools Minister Nick Gibb has said that schools should remain open even if they have a pupil who has returned from an area affected by coronavirus, adding that the child should stay at home to be tested.
The government minister said that if the child tests positive for coronavirus, then Public Health England will get involved.
Mr Gibb said that while things are currently low risk, the government and NHS are preparing for every eventuality. He also reassured that contingency plans are place for any impact the virus might have on the exam season.
11:22 AM
Facebook cancels F8 conference
Facebook has cancelled its F8 developer conference due to fears around the spread of the coronavirus.
The event, which is the social media giant’s biggest of the year, was due to take place in San Jose on May 5 and 6. More than 5,000 developers and entrepreneurs attended the conference last year.
Facebook’s director of developer platforms Konstantinos Papamiltiadis said that the “difficult decision” had to be made.
Our technology correspondent Michael Cogley has more details here.
11:19 AM
Passengers contacted after first NI case
People on the plane from northern Italy to Dublin who sat within two rows of Northern Ireland's first coronavirus have been contacted, health authorities said.
The Public Health Agency confirmed the country's first case of the virus on Thursday.
It's understood that the woman followed advice in reporting concerns to a GP, and "self isolated" at home whilst awaiting the results of testing.
Irish health chief Dr John Cuddihy said:
"Each of the stages of this person's journey have been identified and all relevant contacts in all of those stages of transport have been contacted (and) traced."
Ireland's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan, and the head of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Dr Cuddihy, held a news conference in Dublin to provide details of Ireland's preparedness.
Dr Holohan said they were depending on an individual with symptoms travelling back from an affected area identifying themselves, contacting the local health authorities, and that was what had happened in this particular case.
11:13 AM
Doctors warn of shortage of critical care beds
Doctors have warned that a shortage of critical care beds and staff could put pressure on an already overstretched service in the event of a large-scale coronavirus outbreak in the UK.
Data on the availability of critical care beds - those for treating the most severe cases of pneumonia - shows that the UK has one of the lowest rates of beds in Europe.
One senior doctor said that “tough decisions” would need to be made about who should be treated.
Anne Gulland, Global Health's deputy editor, has more here.
11:04 AM
Coronavirus, Spanish flu, and the dark history of 'Keep Calm and Carry On' advice
Historians believe the language of 'keep calm' originated during Britain's wartime response to the Spanish flu - Telegraph
As the government encourages Britons not to overreact to the Covid-19 outbreak, Luke Mintz takes look at the surprising origins of a famous motto.
Azerbaijan has reported its first case of coronavirus, Reuters reports.
10:53 AM
Welsh authorities scramble to track down case contacts
Medics are trying to trace people who had been in close contact with the country's first coronavirus case, Public Health Wales has said.
Dr Giri Shankar, incident director for the Covid-19 outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said:
"Public Health Wales is working hard to identify close contacts, and we are taking all appropriate actions to reduce any risk to the public's health.
"The public can be assured that Wales and the whole of the UK is well prepared for these types of incidents. Working with our partners in Wales and the UK, we have implemented our planned response, with robust infection control measures in place to protect the health of the public."
10:47 AM
Cases rise in Germany
There are almost 60 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Germany, a German health ministry spokeswoman has said.
10:41 AM
Central bankers have no power against the economic tornado of coronavirus
Central banks have met their match, argues Ambrose Evans-Pritchard:
"They cannot counter the economic havoc caused to global supply chains from the coronavirus.
"Nor can tax cuts or a blast of government spending plug the gap when crumbling confidence and emergency anti-virus measures are blocking the transmission channels.
"We are in an unprecedented global situation more akin to the outbreak of war than any episode in collective economic memory."
Iran's Health Ministry spokesman said on Friday that the new coronavirus has now killed 34 people and infected 388.
Yesterday the country reported that 26 people had died, including a 23-year-old female futsal player.
10:23 AM
'With every epidemic we make the same mistake, this time let's learn'
As a doctor and infectious disease specialist, I’ve seen what does and doesn’t work, writes Matt McCarthy, assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine:
We've known for years that the next great pandemic was going to come from a virus that leapt from animal to man.
It wasn’t a question of if but when. It’s clear we took our eye off the ball.
While leaders focus on quarantines, vaccines, and new medicines - all of which are important - we rarely hear about the development of new tests to detect deadly pathogens once an epidemic begins.
This failure happens with every outbreak and it must change.
The Netherlands declared it's second case on Friday – a patient in the Dutch capital with links to Italy.
The first Dutch case was confirmed in the southern city of Tilburg late on Thursday. Both had recently travelled in Northern Italy.
The new Amsterdam case "has no link to the first patient," the National Institute for Public Health said in a statement. Both patients are being held in isolation.
“Drive-thru” coronavirus testing is to be introduced on the NHS - with suspected cases swabbed in their own cars.
The new scheme is part of efforts to relieve pressure on ambulance and hospital services, amid concern they could soon be overwhelmed by the number of tests they are carrying out.
10:00 AM
Two more cases confirmed in England
A further two coronavirus cases have been confirmed in England, bringing the total to 19.
Professor Chris Whitty said:
"Two further patients in England have tested positive for Covid-19.
"The virus was passed on in Iran and the patients have been transferred to specialist NHS infection centres at the Royal Free Hospital.
"The total number of cases in England is now 17. Following confirmed cases in Northern Ireland and Wales, the total number of UK cases is 19."
09:55 AM
Newcastle United sidelines handshake ritual
Premier League club Newcastle United are attempting to guard against the spread of coronavirus by introducing a handshake ban at their training ground.
The club has put a stop to a morning ritual of players and staff shaking hands as fears over the spread of the disease increase.
Danny Rose of Newcastle United looks to pass with pressure from Jordan Ayew of Crystal Palace during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Newcastle United at Selhurst Park - Jordan Mansfield / Getty Images Europe
Head coach Steve Bruce said:
"There's a ritual here that everybody shakes hands with everybody as soon as we see each other every morning - we've stopped that on the advice of the doctor.
"We're like everybody else. Thankfully, we've got a superb doctor here and he will keep us informed of what we have to do.
"We're like everybody else, we're glued to the TV for where it's going to go next and let's hope it doesn't get any worse in this country."
It comes after Arsenal insisted on all training ground visitors filling out medical forms on Thursday in a growing sign of concern among Premier League clubs over the coronavirus.
Journalists and members of staff were told to declare if they had recently attended any risk area countries and whether they were experiencing any symptoms.
09:46 AM
Switzerland bans all gatherings over 1000
The Swiss government has announced that it has banned all large-scale events until at least 15 March.
09:35 AM
BREAKING: First case in Wales
The first case of coronavirus in Wales has been confirmed by Public Health Wales.
It means 19 people have now tested positive in the UK, with two more cases confirmed in England this morning.
Wales' chief medical officer Dr Frank Atherton said:
"I can confirm that one patient in Wales has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).
"All appropriate measures to provide care for the individual and to reduce the risk of transmission to others are being taken.
"I can also confirm that the patient had travelled back to Wales from Northern Italy, where the virus was contracted.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to assure the public that Wales and the whole of the UK is well prepared for these types of incidents. Working with our partners in Wales and the UK, we have implemented our planned response, with robust infection control measures in place to protect the health of the public."
09:34 AM
Warning over bogus 'cures'
Experts have warned that people seeking treatments and cures for coronavirus online risk being exposed to potentially dangerous homemade remedies and cybercriminals.
Websites promoting bogus cures including bleach drinks, nasal sprays and even necklaces have appeared as the virus has spread to infect more than 80,000 people around the world.
A Japanese necklace which claims to prevent viruses has become popular across Asia - Telegraph
A potentially harmful drink called “Miracle Mineral Solution” has been promoted online as a potential cure for coronavirus. However, experts have warned that the drink can be deadly as it becomes a dangerous bleach when mixed with an acid such as lemon or lime juice.
Other products offered for sale online include a £7.30 “virus shut out” necklace and a nasal spray which claims to be a “disinfectant for your nose.”
Hinkley Point staff self-isolating amid Coronavirus fear
Four members of staff at Hinkley Point C power station in Somersetare self-isolating as a precaution.
One staff member, who has returned from Northern Italy where the virus is spreading, is self-isolating alongside two of his housemates.
While another staff member, who recently returned from Tenerife, is also in self-isolation.
A spokesman for Hinkley Point said:
"Following advice from Public Health England and as a precaution, four members of the Hinkley Point C workforce have self-isolated - one returning from Northern Italy and two of his housemates and one employee returning from Tenerife.
"We have issued protective advice to staff advising them on the common-sense precautions we can all take to minimise our individual risks.
09:18 AM
EasyJet cancels flights
EasyJet has said it will be cancelling flights as a result of the continued spread of coronavirus, the Press Association reports.
The budget airline said the move will particularly impact "those into and out of Italy", while it adapts its flying programme to best support demand.
EasyJet said the increase in Covid-19 cases in northern Italy has resulted in softer demand in the region, while flight demand has also slowed in other European markets as a result.
08:58 AM
French mayor confirms case in Nice
The mayor of Nice in southern France has just revealed that a case has been confirmed in the city this morning, involving a patient who had returned from Milan.
08:49 AM
Possible case in Mexico
Mexico is reviewing a suspected coronavirus infection after a man who recently arrived from Italy came up positive in an initial test, the government said, in what would be the first case to be confirmed in the country and only the second in Latin America.
Deputy health minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell Ramirez told local television he would announce the result of the second test from the 35-year-old man on Friday morning.
"He's not in a serious condition," he said, noting that the man was suffering from headache, fever and muscular pain, as well as exhibiting respiratory symptoms.
The man had recently been in northern Italy and was placed in isolation, Mr Lopez-Gatell said.
08:47 AM
Can the NHS really cope?
Can the NHS really cope, he was asked. Jeremy Hunt replied:
Every hospital will be looking at how they can ensure no urgent treatments are delayed if there is a pandemic, things like cancer treatments, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and so on, so that will be the priority right now.
Then, yes, there will be an impact of course on non-urgent treatments if this takes hold. And let's be clear, we are still in a state where don't know whether it is going to or not, that doesn't mean that we don't prepare.
08:43 AM
Is guidance enough?
The former health secretary was asked about public guidance on tackling the outbreak. He said:
We are a mature democracy and I think it's perfectly possible to count on the co-operation of the public to comply with guidelines and recommendations made by the Government without the kind of authoritarian measures that we see on our TV screens....
I think the Government have been cautious about explaining what will happen in what they call a reasonable worst-case scenario but, given that we are now at that tipping point, I think they are rightly starting to explain in more detail what some of those trade-offs might be and will continue to do that.
08:36 AM
Jeremy Hunt: UK's contingency plan is for 70% of the population to get virus
Asked about preparations in the UK, he said the NHS was ready. He said in Wuhan the outbreak appeared to have peaked at less than five per cent of the population getting it, adding:
We are having to make contingency plans for 70 per cent of the population getting it and in terms of the number of lives lost those are massive things - hundreds of thousands of lives different if you can contain it to less than five per cent. And the question we have to ask ourselves... is what are the social and economic trade-offs that we are prepared to make to keep the spread of the virus at that low level?
08:28 AM
Jeremy Hunt: We must watch what happens in Iran and Africa
Jeremy Hunt, the former health secretary, has been speaking on Radio 4's Today programme. He said what happens now in Iran and Africa "is probably more significant in terms of the risks of this turning into a pandemic where the spread across borders becomes not possible to contain".
Asked whether to call it a pandemic, he said:
We need to be preparing for a pandemic whether or not it has been officially labelled a pandemic, and we are preparing for a pandemic. But there is a very specific definition of a pandemic, which is when it reaches the point where it is no longer possible to contain it, and we don't believe we are at that point, we still think it is possible to contain the virus and we are still very much hoping that will happen.
08:18 AM
Even more South Korea cases
South Korea reported 315 additional coronavirus cases on Friday, pushing up the total infections in the country to 2,337, the Korea Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention said. The updated numbers came after the agency confirmed 256 cases earlier in the day (see 01.18 post). Together it marked the largest daily increase since South Korea confirmed its first patient on Jan 20
08:08 AM
Pet dog tests positive
A pet dog in Hong Kong has tested positive for coronavirus. Staff from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department picked up the dog from a residential flat and put it into quarantine for testing.
A spokesman said:
Samples were tested weak positive to COVID-19 virus. The dog does not have any relevant symptoms. At present, the AFCD does not have evidence that pet animals can be infected with COVID-19 virus or can be a source of infection to people.
The Department will conduct close monitoring of the above dog and collect further samples for testing to confirm if the dog has really been infected with the virus or this is a result of environmental contamination of the dog's mouth and nose. Repeated tests will be conducted for the dog and it will only be returned when the test result is negative.
The spokesman said that to ensure public and animal health, the department strongly advised mammalian pets of patients confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19 virus to be put under quarantine and veterinary surveillance for 14 days.
07:41 AM
Chris Froome to be tested for coronavirus
Chris Froome is to be tested for coronavirus after two Italians contracted the infection at a major cycling race in the United Arab Emirates.
The Abu Dhabi Sports Council decided on Friday to cancel the race, adding: "Safety comes at the top of all priorities."
A spokesman said: "All the race's participants, administrative staff and organisers will be examined through the continuous periodic screening being conducted, and all needed procedures, including quarantine measures, will be taken to ensure viral suppression."
That quarantine appeared to ensnare Froome, 34, the four-time Tour de France winner who was using the event as a comeback after suffering injuries in a bad 2019 crash.
"It's a shame that the UAE Tour has been cancelled but public health must come first," Froome wrote on Twitter. "We are all awaiting testing and will remain at the hotel until further notice. I hope those affected make a speedy recovery and there aren't any further cases."
06:38 AM
Coronavirus cases sparks memories of Ebola crisis
Nigeria's first case of new coronavirus is stirring memories of the fears sparked six years ago when West Africa's Ebola epidemic hit the chaotic megacity of 20 million.
The low number of cases so far across Africa, which has close economic ties with China, the epicentre of the deadly outbreak, has puzzled health specialists.
Prior to the case in Nigeria, there had been just two cases on the continent - in Egypt and Algeria.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with some 190 million people, is viewed as one of the world's most vulnerable to the spread of the virus given its fragile health system and high population density.
In 2014, the first case of Ebola confirmed in the city from the outbreak that swept West Africa set off alarm bells across the globe and unleashed a wave of panic among residents.
Nigerian health officials wait to screen passengers at the airport in Lagos in 2014 when the country faced an Ebola crisis - AP
In the end Lagos escaped relatively lightly and only seven people died from a total of 19 infected, a number dwarfed by the overall toll of 11,000 deaths across the region from 2013 to 2016.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) hailed the containment of Ebola in Lagos as a major success given the potential for a rapid spread in the city's closely packed and poorly sanitised neighbourhoods.
The Lagos state health authorities reacted quickly, medical experts from international organisations in the country deployed from the capital Abuja and the disease was confined to the upscale neighbourhoods in the city.
05:52 AM
New Zealand confirms first case
New Zealand has now confirmed its first coronavirus case, saying a recent arrival from Iran who travelled to Auckland via Bali had tested positive.
Health officials said the person, aged in their 60s, was being treated in Auckland City Hospital.
"They are in an improving condition in isolation, in a negative pressure room to prevent any spread of the disease," the health department said in a statement.
Officials said the person, reportedly a female New Zealand citizen, arrived in Auckland on Wednesday and family members went to the hospital after becoming concerned about the individual's condition.
The officials urged any passengers on Wednesday's final leg of the Emirates airline journey, which goes from Bali to Auckland, to contact authorities if they were concerned.
However, authorities downplayed the risk to the public saying the situation was being well managed.
"Although we have our first case of COVID-19, the chances of community outbreak remain low," the statement said.
Coronavirus live map
05:48 AM
Belarus records first case
Belarus has become the third country overnight to register its first case of the coronavirus.
"We would like to inform you that February 27 tests conducted at the Republican Scientific and Practical Center of epidemiology and microbiology showed the presence of coronavirus 2019-nCoV in one of the students from Iran," Russian news agency TASS reported on Friday, citing the Belarussian Ministry of Healthcare.
05:46 AM
Move to shut schools causes uproar in Japan
Japan’s call to shut down schools in a bid to contain the coronavirus outbreak has caused widespread confusion across the country, as panic mounts over the future of the Tokyo Olympics, writes Danielle Demetriou.
Shinzo Abe, the prime minister, took the drastic step of announcing the closure of all schools nationwide for the month of March during a government taskforce meeting to tackle the spread of the virus.
The announcement came amid growing criticism of Mr Abe’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak and just 148 days ahead of the opening of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Mask-clad commuters make their way to work during morning rush hour at the Shinagawa train station in Tokyo - AFP
Mr Abe said the government will request all elementary, junior high and high schools to close from next Monday until early April, when a new academic year commences, highlighting “children’s health and safety” as a top priority.
However, the sudden move appeared to caused widespread confusion among schools, parents and students.
The case in Nigeria is an Italian man who arrived in Nigeria three days ago.
The Health Ministry said on Twitter that the case was in the state of Lagos, home to the southwestern commercial capital of the same name. Lagos is the biggest city in Africa's most populous country, with a population of about 20 million.
The health minister Osagie Ehanire, in a statement, said the case was an Italian citizen who works in Nigeria and returned from Milan, Italy to Lagos Feb. 25.
"The patient is clinically stable, with no serious symptoms," said the minister, adding that he was being treated at a hospital in the Lagos district of Yaba.
"We have already started working to identify all the contacts of the patient, since he entered Nigeria," said Ehanire.
The minister said authorities have been strengthening measures to ensure an outbreak in Nigeria is controlled and contained quickly.
A man walks past empty shops in the deserted China Commercial City shopping centre, popularly called "China Town", in Ojota in Lagos, as people fear of contracting the COVID-19 - AFP
04:23 AM
Lithuania records first case of the virus
Lithuania has joined the fast-growing list of countries hit by the coronavirus.
It reported its first infection on Friday, in a woman who returned this week from a visit to Italy's northern city of Verona, the government said, as the disease spreads rapidly worldwide.
In a statement, the Lithuanian government said the woman had been isolated in hospital in the northern town of Siauliai following her return on Monday.
She has been under observation since, and is showing only slight symptoms, with no elevated temperature at the moment, it added.
04:19 AM
IOC 'fully committed' to holding the 2020 Games in Tokyo
The International Olympic Committee is "fully committed" to holding the 2020 Games in Tokyo as planned despite the widening new coronavirus outbreak, the body's president has pledged.
The IOC "is fully committed to a successful Olympic Games in Tokyo starting July 24", Thomas Bach told Japanese media in a conference call late on Thursday, according to Kyodo News.
The comments came as the viral outbreak across Japan and dozens of other countries has fuelled concerns about the Summer Games, with a swathe of other sports events postponed or cancelled.
04:05 AM
Tokyo Disneyland to shut over virus fears
Tokyo Disneyland will be closed starting from Saturday through to March 15 due to concerns about coronavirus infections spreading in Japan, its operator said on Friday, leaving all of Walt Disney Co's theme parks in Asia temporarily shut.
Both Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea will be closed after a government recommendation that big gatherings and events be curtailed for two weeks, park operator Oriental Land Co Ltd said.
The move also comes after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for all schools to close to stop the coronavirus spreading.
"We plan to reopen on March 16, but we will make an announcement after keeping close contact with relevant institutions," Oriental Land said on its website.
It said it would inform ticket holders of policies on refunds.
Disney's Shanghai and Hong Kong theme parks remain closed for more than a month, and the company earlier this month warned of a negative impact on its second quarter results.
Workers wearing protective facemasks are seen at the Shanghai Disney resort in Shanghai - AFP
02:24 AM
US whistlebower files complaint
A government whistleblower has filed a complaint alleging that some federal workers did not have the necessary protective gear or training when they were deployed to help Americans evacuated from China during the coronavirus outbreak.
The complaint deals with Health and Human Services Department employees sent to Travis and March Air Force bases in California to assist the quarantined evacuees. The Office of Special Counsel, a federal agency that investigates personnel issues, confirmed on Thursday it has received the unnamed whistleblower's complaint and has opened a case.
Rep. Jimmy Gomez said the whistleblower recently contacted his office, also alleging retaliation by higher-ups for having flagged safety issues.
"My concern from the moment I heard it is that individuals at HHS are not taking the complaints of HHS employees seriously," Gomez said in an interview. "Their superiors are not supposed to brush them off. By retaliating against people if they do call out a problem, that only discourages other people from ever reporting violations."
American passengers evacuated from a cruise ship in Japan disembark from a Kalitta Air flight at Kelly Field in Texas - AP
02:00 AM
Hong Kong shares dive
Hong Kong stocks have dived almost two percent in the first few minutes of trade following a rout across US and European markets.
The Hang Seng Index plunged 1.98 percent, or 529.56 points, to 26,249.06.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index shed 2.23 percent, or 66.69 points, to 2,924.64 and the Shenzhen Composite Index, that tracks stocks on China's second exchange, fell 3.34 percent, or 63.31 points to 1,831.82.
South Korea is reporting 256 new coronavirus cases, taking its total - the highest in the world outside China - to 2,022.
The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said more than 90 percent of the new cases were in Daegu - the city at the epicentre of the outbreak in South Korea - and the neighbouring North Gyeongsang province, it added.
There were no further deaths, keeping the toll at 13.
12:45 AM
Nigeria reports first case of coronavirus
Nigeria has confirmed its first case of the virus. Dr. E. Osagie Ehanire, the country minister for health, tweeted that it was discovered in Lagos State.
He said the patient was a foreign national with no serious symptoms and has been placed in treatment with the Infectious Disease Hospital, in Yaba.
Tokyo's key Nikkei index has plunged nearly three percent at the open. It comes after after US and European sell-offs with investors worried about the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
The Nikkei 225 lost 2.91 percent, or 639.27 points, to 21,308.96 while the broader Topix index was down 2.64 percent, or 41.36 points, at 1,526.70.
In Australia, shares fell 3.25 percent, as the major local stock indices smashed through 10 per cent of losses since their record highs last Thursday.
12:19 AM
China releases latest figures
The National Health Commission says mainland China has 327 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections, down from 433 cases a day earlier.
That brings the total accumulated number of confirmed cases in mainland China so far to 78,824.
The death toll from the outbreak in mainland China reached 2,788 as of the end of Thursday, up by 44 from the previous day
12:09 AM
Summary
Welcome. Here is a round up of the latest developments.
WHO: China has nearly 80,000 infections and more than 2,700 deaths
The virus has spread to another 46 countries, where around 3,700 cases and 57 deaths have been reported
16 people have tested positive in the UK as the government warns schools could close if the virus becomes a pandemic
Public health officials have launched an urgent hunt for scores of British holidaymakers who stayed at a locked-down Tenerife hotel
Stock markets have dropped for six straight days, wiping out more than $3.6 trillion in value
US markets suffer 'worst week since financial crisis'
Pope Francis has fallen 'sick' one day after meeting an Ash Wednesday audience
Worry as new case in California may have no obvious links to other cases or virus hotspots
Italy death toll climbed to 17
A 23-year-old female athlete among Iranian coronavirus deaths, 26 have died in total while Iran's vice president for Women and Family Affairs Masoumeh Ebtekar has tested positive
Beijing half marathon organisers said Monday they were investigating after footage shared widely online appeared to show three African runners deliberately allowing China's He Jie to win.Track and field's international body said it was "aware" of the footage online and the investigation into it.
In the 10 months since David de Gea left Manchester United, the most high-profile free agent on the market has actually worn kit for a different club. The red shirt, however, was that of his esports team Rebels, rather than pulling on a No 1 jersey in the Premier League.
Screaming Into the Void Despite an astronomical number of red flags, investors who poured their hard-earned cash into former president Donald Trump's Truth Social meme stock are experiencing a rude awakening. As the Washington Post reports, Trump supporters are seething as the value of the social media platform's parent company Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) […]
Under Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore has held its own in an era of globalised finance and cutting-edge tech, while continuing his venerated father's policy of muzzling free media and snuffing out dissent.Before ascending to the top job, Lee was chairman of the central bank, as well as finance minister.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who’s set a May 15 date for passing the baton to his deputy Lawrence Wong, is leaving behind an economy that’s in a better position than he inherited it.
These three blue-chip companies promise a healthy mix of both dividends and growth. The post Looking for Dividends and Growth? 3 Singapore Blue-Chip Stocks You Can Consider Buying appeared first on The Smart Investor.
