More than 126,100 people have been infected globally and over 4,600 have died, according to a Reuters tally of government announcements.
CORONAVIRUS: Airlines count mounting cost
CORONAVIRUS: The economic remedies
CORONAVIRUS: Sports events hit by the pandemic
Italian daily coronavirus deaths jump 23% to 1,016
The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has jumped in the last 24 hours by 189 to 1,016, a rise of 23%, the Civil Protection Agency said on Thursday.
The total number of cases in Italy, the European country hardest hit by the virus, rose to 15,113 from a previous 12,462, an increase of 21.7%. That marked the biggest daily rise in absolute terms since the contagion first came to light on February 21.
The agency said that, of those originally infected, 1,258 had fully recovered compared to 1,045 the day before. Some 1,153 people were in intensive care against a previous 1,028.
17:49 Ireland to shut schools and universities
Ireland will shut schools, universities and childcare facilities until March 29 and restrict mass gathering to slow the spread of the coronavirus, acting Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Thursday.
Ireland’s chief medical officer said the government had turned to measures to try to delay the spread, rather than simply contain it, following fresh case information late on Wednesday.
Ireland confirmed its first death of a patient diagnosed with the virus on Wednesday as the number of confirmed cases rose to 43 from 34 a day earlier. Two more cases on Thursday in Northern Ireland, the British region which shares an open border with the Irish republic, brought the total there to 20.
16:30 UK cases rise 29% to 590 in one day, total of 10 dead
British cases of coronavirus rose 29% to 590 over the past 24 hours and the death toll rose to 10, health authorities said.
15:57 Norway to take ‘strongest-ever peacetime measures’
Norway will close a wide range of public and private institutions, including schools and restaurants, and halt all sporting events, in a bid to combat the spread of the coronavirus, the government announced on Thursday.
Health workers involved in the treatment of patients will be forbidden from leaving the country at least until the end of April, and any person returning from abroad will be quarantined for two weeks, it said.
“Today, Norway will take its strongest-ever peacetime measures,” Prime Minister Erna Solberg told a news conference.
“These are very invasive measures”, she added.
15:44 Czech shuts borders with travellers from Germany, Austria
The Czech Republic will close its borders to travellers coming from Germany and Austria and also ban the entry of foreigners coming from other risky countries to contain the coronavirus outbreak, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Thursday.
Citizens will also be barred from travelling to those areas. Among other measures, the government banned public events of more than 30 people and closures of places such as sport centres or spa services.
Restaurants must close by 8:00 p.m.
15:37 UN shipping agency closes London HQ
The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations’ shipping agency, has closed its headquarters in London and postponed a session of its Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC).
The IMO said the moves followed an assessment on Wednesday by the World Health Organization, which said the virus can be characterised as a pandemic. It added that IMO staff were working from home where possible.
15:25 Philippines’ Duterte announces ‘lockdown’ on Manila
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday announced a halt on domestic land, sea and air travel to and from Manila, as well as community quarantine measures, in what he called a “lockdown” of the capital to arrest the spread of coronavirus.
Duterte approved a resolution to allow a raft of containment measures including bans on mass gatherings, a month of school closures and quarantining in communities where cases are detected, as well as stopping domestic travel in and out of Manila.
It follows confirmation on Saturday of the Philippines’ first domestic transmission of the virus, which has killed two people there and infected 53.
15:14 Slovakia closes schools, stops international travel
Slovakia will introduce border checks, stop international travel to and from the country and close schools as it steps up measures to battle the spreading coronavirus, Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini said on Thursday.
The central European country, which has so far reported 16 cases of the new virus, also plans to close sport, leisure and entertainment centres like ski areas, pools and clubs, and will shut shopping centres over weekends among its measures.
Pellegrini said international freight transport would continue.
15:09 Confirmed Dutch cases rise 22% to 614
The number of new coronavirus infections in the Netherlands rose 22% to 614 on Thursday, health officials said.
The bulk of the infections, 273, are in the southern province of Noord-Brabant, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said in a statement.
14.26 37 deaths in 24 hours in Spain
Spain reported 84 deaths from the virus outbreak vs 47 a day before
14.10 Finland to ban public meetings of more than 500
Finland will ban public meetings of more than 500 people until the end of May due to the coronavirus outbreak, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Thursday.
14.07 Deliveroo starts contactless delivery
British food delivery service Deliveroo said it will allow orders to be left outside people’s addresses so that the courier does not have to come into contact with the customer, to minimise the risk of spreading coronavirus.
14.05 Ireland to shut schools, universities
Ireland will shut schools, universities and childcare facilities until March 29 and restrict all indoor and outdoor mass gathering in response to the spread of the coronavirus, acting Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Thursday.
14.03 Euroleague suspended amid coronavirus outbreak
Euroleague, Europe’s elite club basketball competition, was suspended on Thursday until further notice due to the coronavirus outbreak.
“…in order to preserve the health and safety of the participants and fans, Euroleague Basketball in agreement with its clubs has taken the decision to temporarily suspend all 2019-20 games until further notice,” Euroleague Basketball said.
14.02 Singapore to close mosques to prevent coronavirus spread
Singapore will close all mosques for at least five days for deep cleaning to prevent the spread of coronavirus after two congregants were thought to have been infected during an Islamic conference in neighbouring Malaysia.
14.01 McLaren withdraws from Australian GP after member tests positive for coronavirus
The McLaren Racing team has withdrawn from this weekend’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix after a team member tested positive for coronavirus, the team said on Thursday.
13.59 U.N. rights body suspending session a week early due to virus – statement
The United Nations Human Rights Council has decided to suspend its main annual four-week session from Friday, ending a week early, due to coronavirus, a statement said on Thursday.
The decision came a day after Geneva authorities said that public meetings in the Swiss city should be limited to 100 people and the World Health Organization (WHO) used pandemic for the first time to characterise the outbreak.
13.57 China senior medical adviser: coronavirus pandemic “over by June” if countries act
The global coronavirus pandemic could be over by June if countries mobilise to fight it, a senior Chinese medical adviser said on Thursday, as China declared the peak had passed there and new cases in Hubei fell to single digits for the first time.
13.03 Real Madrid footballers sent home after basketball player diagnosed with coronavirus, La Liga suspends all games
Real Madrid has sent all of the members of its soccer and basketball teams home after one of the sports club’s basketball players tested positive for the new coronavirus, the Spanish newspaper El Mundo said on Thursday.
12.45 Poland’s PM chief of staff recommends Poles work from home
Poles should work from home due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Michal Dworczyk said on Thursday.
“I would like to appeal to you to use the opportunity to work from home in accordance with the law,” Dworczyk told a news conference.
12.35 Trump’s travel ban decision takes EU Commission by surprise
The European Union said on Thursday it disapproved of the U.S. decision to improve a unilateral travel ban on European countries, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Council president Charles Michel said in a statement.
“The European Union disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to improve a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation,” the statement said, adding that the EU is taking “strong” measures to limit the spread of the virus.
12.34 S.Korea tries to contain smaller outbreaks as new coronavirus cases slow
South Korea on Thursday reported 114 new coronavirus cases and six more deaths, a relative decline in new cases that raised tentative hopes the epidemic was slowing despite the emergence of new clusters.
Health officials were trying to track down and contain a number of new clusters of infections, including at a call centre in the capital Seoul.
12.32 Death toll in Iran reaches 429
The death toll in Iran has reached 429 while in the past 24 hours there have been confirmed 1075 new coronavirus cases.
12.22 Spain’s PM to hold meetings via video conference after minister diagnosed with coronavirus
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will hold all meetings via video conference starting from Thursday after fellow minister Irene Montero was diagnosed with coronavirus, the government said in a statement.
Montero’s partner Pablo Iglesias, who is deputy prime minister, was quarantined and all ministers will be tested on Thursday morning, the statement said.
12.17 IKEA temporarily closes all 21 stores in Italy
IKEA announced that it will temporarily close all 21 stores and 2 shopping centres in Italy
12.01 Austria reports first coronavirus death, man of 69
A 69-year-old man has died in Vienna after contracting the new coronavirus, Austria’s first death in the rapidly spreading epidemic, city authorities said on Thursday.
Austria has confirmed 302 cases so far, and four people have recovered.
11.26 Madrid lockdown?
The president of the Madrid region Isabel Diaz Ayuso said on Thursday that the Spanish government was considering locking down Madrid as a measure to stem the coronavirus spread in the country.
The Spanish government denied on Wednesday that it had any plan for such a lockdown.
“From what we have seen in the past hours, the possibility of closing down Madrid is under consideration,” Diaz Ayuso said on Tele 5 local TV channel.
11.11 South Africa reports first case of local transmission of coronavirus
South Africa reported the first case of local transmission of the coronavirus on Thursday, fuelling concerns that sub-Saharan African health systems could be overwhelmed if local transmission accelerates.
Sub-Saharan Africa has reported far fewer cases of coronavirus than in Europe or China, but some analysts worry it could spread rapidly in poor or overcrowded areas.
11.07 Slovenia to close all schools from Monday and reject cargo from Italy
Slovenia plans to close all schools from Monday in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Marjan Sarec said on Thursday.
“This decree is necessary…in this situation,” Sarec said on social media, giving no details on how long the schools will be closed.
He also said that Slovenia would start rejecting cargo traffic from Italy, although he gave no further details.
11.03 Iran says it has asked IMF for $5 bln emergency funding
Iran has asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for emergency funding to help it fight the coronavirus outbreak, which has hit the Islamic Republic hard, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet on Thursday.
The IMF managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, “has stated that countries affected by #COVID19 will be supported via Rapid Financial Instrument. Our Central Bank requested access to this facility immediately”, Zarif said.
10.56 Norway may shut several airports, operator says
Norway is considering whether to close down several airports as part of its effort to curb the spread of coronavirus, airport operator Avinor told the public broadcaster NRK on Thursday.
At Oslo Airport, the country’s largest, one of the two runways could be shut, Avinor Chief Executive Dag Falk-Petersen said.
10.47 France’s ADP mulls closing Paris airport terminal due to coronavirus – French radio
ADP could close one of the three terminals at Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport in north Paris to cut costs as the French airports operator faces a drop in traffic due to the coronavirus, French radio Europe 1 reported on Thursday.
According to Europe 1, ADP could close the Roissy terminal 3 dedicated to low-cost airliners, and may close other terminals if needed. ADP declined to comment.
10.43 Hong Kong stocks close at near 3-yr low as global pandemic fears deepen
Hong Kong stocks on Thursday plunged to close at a near three-year low, tracking a global selloff as worries deepened over the economic impact of the coronavirus after the U.S. suspended travel from Europe.
10.33 Australia injects $11.4 bln coronavirus stimulus, extends travel restrictions
Australia’s government said it would pump A$17.6 billion ($11.4 billion) into the economy to try to stop the coronavirus outbreak triggering a recession, as it weighed an extension of travel restrictions following a formal pandemic declaration.
The country’s first stimulus package since the 2008 global financial crisis, which helped Australia avert a recession then, illustrates the lengths the government will take to pare the economic impact of the outbreak.
10.16 Airline stocks in tailspin after Trump travel ban
Battered European airline stocks plunged nearly 10% on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he will restrict travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
The surprise move is another setback for the sector that has been roiled by several travel bans across the world and falling passenger volumes amid the virus outbreak, which has been declared a pandemic.
10.14 Kenya bars athletes from global travel over coronavirus worries
Kenya’s athletics authority said on Thursday it had barred its athletes from travelling to international events due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.
10.05 Czechs to start checks on German, Austrian borders
The Czech Republic is introducing controls on its borders with Germany and Austria and banning crossings away from official frontier border posts to help fight the spread of the coronavirus, Interior Minister Jan Hamacek said on Wednesday.
The country, which is part of the European Union’s Schengen area, will start the checks on Friday, news agency CTK reported.
09.50 Spectator at women’s T20 final tests positive for coronavirus
A spectator at last weekend’s women’s Twenty20 World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground has been diagnosed with the coronavirus, sports authorities said on Thursday.
09.48 ECB to run to Europe’s rescue
The European Central Bank is all but certain to unveil new stimulus measures on Thursday, pushing policy closer to its limits to help the euro zone economy cope with the shock of the coronavirus pandemic.
With millions of people in lockdown, markets in turmoil and companies struggling with disrupted supply chains, the economy is already reeling, piling pressure on the ECB to roll out much of what it has left in its depleted policy arsenal.
09.45 Tesco does not expect more than short-term shortages over coronavirus
Britain’s biggest supermarket Tesco does not expect to see anything more than short-term shortages of certain products as customers stockpile over coronavirus, its chairmain said on Thursday.
John Allan, also the president of the business lobby group the CBI, told BBC Radio there was plenty of product in the supply chain and shoppers did not need to panic buy.
09.40 UK sees no need for its own U.S.-style travel ban
British finance minister Rishi Sunak said on Thursday that Britain did not see the need for a U.S-style flying ban as part of its response to the spread of coronavirus.
“The evidence here does not support that,” Sunak told BBC television.
07.56 Kazakhstan suspends all public events
Kazakhstan is suspending all public events and taking special preventive measures due to the global spread of the coronavirus, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev wrote on Twitter on Thursday.
06.38 Greece reports first coronavirus death, 66 year old man
Greece reported its first fatality from a coronavirus infection on Thursday, a 66 year old man who had returned from a religious pilgrimage to Israel and Egypt at the end of February.
The deceased had underlying health issues, the health ministry said in a statement. There were 99 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Greece by late Wednesday.
06.04 Thailand reports 11 new coronavirus cases, bringing total to 70
Thailand reported 11 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases in the Southeast Asian country to 70, health officials said.
All of the new patients had socialised and shared drinks, health officials said, adding that a tourist from Hong Kong had been the source of the infection.
05.20 New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade canceled
The centuries-old St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City has been canceled this year, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday, one of the most high-profile U.S. public events to be felled by the global coronavirus pandemic.
05.14 U.S. did not coordinate, notify EU about travel ban – European diplomat
The United States did not coordinate a 30-day ban on European travel aimed at curbing the spread of the deadly coronavirus with European officials before U.S. President Donald Trump announced it late on Wednesday, a European diplomat said.
04.45 Dollar slides after Trump bans travel from Europe to fight virus
The dollar careened against the euro and yen on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump rattled markets with a month-long ban on European travel to the United States.
The dollar fell 1% to 103.32 yen and 0.5% to $1.1328 against the euro. The safe haven Swiss franc rose 0.6%. The Australian dollar fell 0.4% to $0.6580.
04.13 Guyana confirms first case of coronavirus in woman who returned from US
Guyana on Wednesday confirmed its first case of coronavirus infection in a Guyanese woman who died after returning to the South American country last week from the United States, according to a statement from the president.
The 52-year-old woman sought medical care after arriving in Guyana on March 5 and died on Wednesday morning, the statement said.
03.53 NBA suspends season after player tests positive for coronavirus
The National Basketball Association said on Wednesday that it was suspending the season until further notice after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the coronavirus.
The test result was reported shortly prior to the tip-off of a game between the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
03.25 S.Korea reports 114 new cases of coronavirus, brings total to 7,869
South Korea reported 114 new cases of the coronavirus, as well as six more deaths from the illness, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.
The new cases bring the country’s total to 7,869, with 66 deaths, as health officials seek to track down and contain a number of new clusters of infections, including at a call centre in the capital city of Seoul.
03.12 Trump suspends all travel from Europe to the United States to fight coronavirus
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday the United States will suspend all travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days starting on Friday in order to fight the coronavirus.
02.56 Cuba confirms its first three cases
Cuba confirmed on Wednesday the first three cases of the new coronavirus in its territory in three Italians who had traveled to the country on Monday, according to state news television.
02.50 Mainland China reports 15 new coronavirus cases on Wed, down from prior day
Mainland China had 15 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections on Wednesday, the country’s National Health Commission said on Thursday, down from 24 cases a day earlier.
That brings the total number of confirmed cases in mainland China so far to 80,793.
02.42 Saudi Arabia suspends travel, flights to EU, several other countries
Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended travel of citizens and residents and halted flights with several states. These are, European Union, Switzerland, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Sudan, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Eritrea, Kenya, Djibouti, and Somalia, source added, saying the Kingdom also suspended entry to those coming from these countries.
02.05 Australia announces $11.4 bln economic stimulus plan to counter virus impact
Australia announced an A$17.63 billion ($11.41 billion) economic stimulus plan on Thursday that includes wage subsidies and cash payments for small businesses, to counter the impact of the coronavirus.
01.54 Cuba urges citizens to make own masks as it braces for coronavirus
Cuba’s textile industry has been drafted to fabricate masks while the government is also urging citizens to make their own, as the Communist-run island braces for the potential arrival of coronavirus amid a cash crunch and dwindling supplies worldwide.
01.46 Premier League matches to be played in empty stadiums – report
All Premier League and lower division matches in England are to be played without spectators amid the coronavirus outbreak, the Times reported on Wednesday.
The report said the season will not be postponed and that the games behind closed doors will not be shown in pubs “to avoid congregation of people”.
01:16 San Francisco prohibits non-essential events over 1,000 people
California’s City of San Francisco on Wednesday issued an order prohibiting non-essential events of over 1,000 people through March 25, citing the risk of the rapidly spreading coronavirus.
The order, issued by the city’s Department of Public Health, said there were 14 confirmed cases of the virus in the city and 99 reported cases. Widespread testing was not yet available but was expected to increase in the coming days, it said.
00.51 Saudi Arabia reports 24 new coronavirus cases -Health Ministry
Saudi Arabia reported 24 new coronavirus cases on early Thursday, bringing the kingdom’s total to 45 cases, the state news agency reported, citing the Health Ministry, adding that one patient has recovered.
The 24 new cases include two people who just came back from Iraq, a 12-year-old Saudi child who was in contact with her grandfather who came back from Iran, and 21 Egyptians who had contact with an Egyptian visitor previously reported to have the coronavirus, the news agency reported.
00.40 El Salvador shuts classes in all schools on coronavirus fears
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said on Wednesday that all schools in El Salvador will be closed for three weeks due to coronavirus concerns, after governments in Panama and Peru took similar actions earlier in the day. Foreigners were also banned from entering the country
00.30 UK to introduce more stringent measures to tackle coronavirus outbreak
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chair an emergency meeting on Thursday at which he is expected to approve moving to the “delay phase” of the coronavirus response that includes more stringent measures to counter the outbreak.