Coronavirus - 16th March

What measures are countries taking to stop it?
By Reality Check team BBC News

Countries around the world are taking different measures to try to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Governments say they are acting on medical and scientific advice from leading experts.
But the measures - and their timing - have varied widely, highlighting the many factors at play.

Who is restricting travel and movement?

The US has introduced restrictions on 26 European countries, preventing anyone (except US citizens) from entering the country if they've been in Europe's border-free travel zone in the past 14 days, and is now extending this ban to include the UK and Republic of Ireland.
India says it's suspending visas for all foreigners for a month, with a few exemptions such as for diplomats, official or employment purposes.
Kuwait has also stopped issuing visas to foreign visitors.
And various countries around the world have now stopped or restricted entry to travellers from the countries worst affected by the virus, like China, Italy, Iran and South Korea.
Italy is now in a major lockdown, with special permission needed for travel within the country, and some countries have advised their nationals against non-essential travel there.
Spain is poised to declare a 15-day national lockdown, with its citizens allowed out only for emergencies or to work or buy food.

When the outbreak began in China, the authorities there restricted travel nationwide and told people to stay at home, only relaxing this recently.
The Iranian authorities have also tried to restrict travel between cities, but they did not seal off the holy city of Qom, where there were large numbers of cases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) advice is not to apply travel restrictions, except for a temporary period.
"In general, evidence shows that restricting the movement of people and goods during public health emergencies is ineffective in most situations," it said.

Who is screening at airports?

Some countries - if they are not barring entry - are screening arrivals at airports and other transport hubs. This can involve questioning travellers about their recent movements, their health and carrying out temperature checks.
However, there are doubts about how effective screening for high temperatures is because coronavirus symptoms can take days to appear.

Airport temperature screening: some countries are doing it and some are not
Which countries are screening at airports?
Airports in Italy have been running temperature checks on passengers since early February, and there are also tests at railway stations. Thermometers are a common sight at airports throughout Asia.
And the US - as part of the travel restrictions announced on Europe - has said its citizens will be screened at designated airports.

How many tests are being carried out?

There is considerable variation in how many people are being tested for coronavirus around the world.
South Korea has been carrying out more tests per head of population than anyone else, with nearly 20,000 people tested every day.
Compare that with an average of about 1,500 a day in England - although there are now plans to ramp this up to 10,000 daily.
The US has so far carried out even fewer tests, with reports of shortages at some health centres.
How severe the outbreak has been is another factor, with countries which see a spike in cases generally starting to increase the numbers they test.

Who has closed schools and colleges?

The UN's educational, scientific and cultural body Unesco says that as of 13 March, 39 countries had closed all their schools. A further 22 had closed some at a local level.
School closures can be very disruptive socially and economically, and governments will be weighing up the pros and cons.
Ireland has announced it's closing its schools and colleges until 29 March, and there've been school closures at national or local level in other European countries.
In the UK and Germany, a relatively small number of schools have been closed temporarily to allow for deep cleaning after staff or pupils tested positive or returned from high-risk areas.
China closed schools in many areas, and Japan has asked all schools to close until the end of the school year, which is in late March.
Italy has closed all its schools until April as part of the nationwide lockdown. There have also been nationwide school closures in Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

What about sporting events?

Coronavirus is having a major impact on the sporting calendar.
In football, games were already being cancelled or played in empty stadiums but, after a number of players and coaches tested positive for the virus in different countries, the authorities have gone further.
Uefa have postponed all matches in the Champions League and the Europa League.
England's Premier League has been suspended (until 4 April) along with elite football in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy the Netherlands and a number of other countries.

• World leagues suspended over coronavirus
  
• British football suspended until 3 April
  
• Coronavirus' impact on sport - timeline
  
• What are the rules on ticket refunds?
  

Rugby Union's Six Nations matches, due to be played on 14 March between Italy and England and France and Ireland, were postponed.
The Indian Wells tennis tournament in California was cancelled after a public health emergency was declared for the Coachella Valley.
A number of marathons have been affected including the Barcelona marathon which has been moved from 15 March to 25 October. April's London marathon is also being postponed until October.


Meanwhile, Japan's Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto has said everything is being done to allow the Games to go ahead on 24 July, but said it could be delayed until later in the year.
The recent torch-lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia was held without spectators, before the rest of the relay in Greece was suspended.
The flame handover in Athens next week will be done behind closed doors because of coronavirus concerns.

Are museums and tourist attractions still open?

Some of the world's most famous visitor attractions have closed, restricted entry or told visitors to minimise close contact with each other.
Disney has announced that it is closing its theme parks in Florida and Paris. Hong Kong's Disneyland remains closed as do Disney theme parks in Japan.
There have also been temporary closures of tourist sites across Italy, and restrictions or new measures introduced for visitors to other attractions in Europe.

In France, the Louvre museum, the palace at Versailles and the Eiffel Tower have now been closed following a government order to ban gatherings of more than 100 people.
In New York, Broadway shows are being closed for a month while St Patrick's Day celebrations have been cancelled throughout the island of Ireland.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily halted the entry of pilgrims wanting to visit the holy sites, and Iraq introduced restrictions on access to religious sites.

The science of soap – here’s how it kills the coronavirus

The Guardian (Pall Thordarson): https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/12/science-soap-kills-coronavirus-alcohol-based-disinfectants

Alcohol-based disinfectants are also effective, but soap is a highly efficient way of killing the virus when it’s on your skin

Viruses can be active outside the body for hours, even days. Disinfectants, liquids, wipes, gels and creams containing alcohol are all useful at getting rid of them – but they are not quite as good as normal soap.

When I shared the information above using Twitter, it went viral. I think I have worked out why. Health authorities have been giving us two messages: once you have the virus there are no drugs that can kill it or help you get rid of it. But also, wash your hands to stop the virus spreading. This seems odd. You can’t, even for a million dollars, get a drug for the coronavirus – but your grandmother’s bar of soap kills the virus.
So why does soap work so well on the Sars-CoV-2, the coronavirus and indeed most viruses? The short story: because the virus is a self-assembled nanoparticle in which the weakest link is the lipid (fatty) bilayer. Soap dissolves the fat membrane and the virus falls apart like a house of cards and dies – or rather, we should say it becomes inactive as viruses aren’t really alive.
The slightly longer story is that most viruses consist of three key building blocks: ribonucleic acid (RNA), proteins and lipids. A virus-infected cell makes lots of these building blocks, which then spontaneously self-assemble to form the virus. Critically, there are no strong covalent bonds holding these units together, which means you do not necessarily need harsh chemicals to split those units apart. When an infected cell dies, all these new viruses escape and go on to infect other cells. Some end up also in the airways of lungs.

When you cough, or especially when you sneeze, tiny droplets from the airways can fly up to 10 metres. The larger ones are thought to be the main coronavirus carriers and they can go at least two metres.
These tiny droplets end on surfaces and often dry out quickly. But the viruses remain active. Human skin is an ideal surface for a virus. It is “organic” and the proteins and fatty acids in the dead cells on the surface interact with the virus.
When you touch, say, a steel surface with a virus particle on it, it will stick to your skin and hence get transferred on to your hands. If you then touch your face, especially your eyes, nostrils or mouth, you can get infected. And it turns out that most people touch their face once every two to five minutes.
Washing the virus off with water alone might work. But water is not good at competing with the strong, glue-like interactions between the skin and the virus. Water isn’t enough.
Soapy water is totally different. Soap contains fat-like substances known as amphiphiles, some of which are structurally very similar to the lipids in the virus membrane. The soap molecules “compete” with the lipids in the virus membrane. This is more or less how soap also removes normal dirt from the skin.
The soap not only loosens the “glue” between the virus and the skin but also the Velcro-like interactions that hold the proteins, lipids and RNA in the virus together.

Alcohol-based products , which pretty much includes all “disinfectant” products, contain a high-percentage alcohol solution (typically 60-80% ethanol) and kill viruses in a similar fashion. But soap is better because you only need a fairly small amount of soapy water, which, with rubbing, covers your entire hand easily. Whereas you need to literally soak the virus in ethanol for a brief moment, and wipes or rubbing a gel on the hands does not guarantee that you soak every corner of the skin on your hands effectively enough.
So, soap is the best, but do please use alcohol-based sanitiser when soap is not handy or practical.

• Pall Thordarson is a professor of chemistry at the University of New South Wales, Sydney

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A reminder also of the importance of wiping down surfaces as well as washing hands.
Excercise caution using ATMs etc.

Bleach is very effective against this virus and it's cheap.

Bleach
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a diluted bleach solution (⅓ cup bleach per 1 gallon of water or 4 teaspoons bleach per 1 quart of water) for virus disinfection. Wear gloves while using bleach, and never mix it with anything except water. (The only exception is when doing laundry with detergent.)

“Bleach works great against viruses,” Sachleben says. Just don’t keep the solution for longer than a few days because bleach will degrade certain plastic containers.

We found that viable virus could be detected in aerosols up to 3 hours post aerosolization, up to 4 hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to 2-3 days on plastic and stainless steel. HCoV-19 and SARS-CoV-1 exhibited similar half-lives in aerosols, with median estimates around 2.7 hours. Both viruses show relatively long viability on stainless steel and polypropylene compared to copper or cardboard: the median half-life estimate for HCoV-19 is around 13 hours on steel and around 16 hours on polypropylene. Our results indicate that aerosol and fomite transmission of HCoV-19 is plausible, as the virus can remain viable in aerosols for multiple hours and on surfaces up to days.
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217v2

16th March - continued ...

UK coronavirus deaths rise to 53 - health secretary

The Health Secretary Matt Hancock has been updating the House of Commons - including the latest number of people who have now died after being tested positive for the coronavirus.
He says 53 people have now died - an increase of 18 from yesterday.
He also tells MPs he will introduce a Coronavirus Emergency Bill to ensure essential services keep running.
These are "unprecedented measures" he says and he expresses the hope that the government will not have to use many of them.

Coronavirus vaccine trial gives dose to first volunteer

A human trial of a vaccine against coronavirus in the US has given a dose to its first participant.
This is the first of a group of 45 healthy volunteers to be given the jab, at the Kaiser Permanente research facility, in Seattle.
Each volunteer will receive an injection over a six-week time frame.
"The first participant received the investigational vaccine today," the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) said in a statement on Monday.
Experts say it will still take many months to know if this vaccine, or others also in research, will work.
Read the full story here: US volunteers to test first vaccine
Meanwhile in Europe, several hospitals in Italy, Spain and France are to test the experimental anti-viral drug Remdesivir on hundreds of patients sick with Covid-19.
The drug, made by California-based Gilead, has already been tested on patients in China’s Hubei province, where the virus originated.
These are clinical trials: Remdesivir has been tested previously on animals, but has not yet been approved by health regulators.

Important the UK keeps moving - health secretary

Asked what people should do if their jobs do not allow them to work from home, Health Secretary Matt Hancock gives this advice:
"If you are healthy and not being asked to isolate because someone in your household has symptoms then of course you should still go to work.
"It is important that this country keeps moving as much as we possibly can, within the limits of the advice we have been given."
He also tells MPs that measures on shielding will be for those who have "significant health conditions”.They will be contacted by the NHS, he says.
But he adds the measures were not aimed at the "generality of over 70s who are healthy".
He says the guidance for those over 70 is the same as for people of working age, except that the government strongly advises social distancing measures.

Idris Elba tests positive for coronavirus

Actor Idris Elba has announced he has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The star of TV series The Wire and Luther tweeted: "I feel ok, I have no symptoms so far but have been isolated since I found out about my possible exposure to the virus.
"Stay home people and be pragmatic. I will keep you updated on how I’m doing. I feel OK. No panic."

UK virus death toll reaches 55

The UK health department has released the latest coronavirus numbers for the country.
As of 09:00 GMT on 16 March, 44,105 people have been tested for the virus.
Of that number 1,543 were positive.
The department also says 55 people who tested positive for coronavirus have now died. Earlier this evening Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the House of Commons the number of people to have died with the virus in England had risen to 53. There has been one death in Wales and one in Scotland.

France to be locked down from Tuesday

France will go into enforced lockdown from Tuesday midday, French President Emmanuel Macron has said in a national address from the Elysee Palace.
All residents have been ordered to stay at home, and can only leave for essential reasons.
Movements will be very severely limited, he said,
"We are at war," the president said numerous times.

More details on France's tough measures

President Macron is announcing a raft of measures as he puts France on a war-footing to fight the virus.
Here are the key details:

• All non-essential movement to be banned from Tuesday midday for 15 days; residents must stay at home
  
• Punishments for those flouting the regulations
  
• Army to be used to help transport the sick to hospital
  
• Military hospital to be used in Alsace, near German border
  
• Borders to be closed in agreement with other European Union countries
  
• Second round of local elections postponed
  
• No business, regardless of size, will be allowed to fail
  

US outbreak could continue until August - Trump

We're watching US President Donald Trump's press conference in the White House. Here are some key points:

• The outbreak in the US is expected to last until "July or August, perhaps longer", Mr Trump says
  
• US residents are advised to avoid bars, restaurants and public spaces, as well as unnecessary travel
  
• People should avoid gathering in groups of more than 10
  
• But Mr Trump said there were no current plans for a nationwide quarantine - suggesting that people in the US are already self-isolating
  
• White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr Deborah Birx issued an appeal directly to millennials, asking them to limit social contact. "They are the core people that will stop this virus. We really want people to be separated," she said.
  
• Dr Birx also warned against socialising even if people feel well. "We know that there is a large group of infected people who are asymptomatic, who continue to spread the virus," she said
  

European Union to shut borders - Macron

In his press conference just now, the French president announced that the European Union would be closing its external borders on Tuesday.
We knew this drastic measure was set to be discussed by the EU's 27 leaders but were not expecting Mr Macron to announce it this evening.
It remains unclear if all states have formally agreed to it.
Earlier, the EU Commission chief Ursula Von der Leyen said she was proposing temporary restriction on "non-essential travel to the EU" for an initial period of 30 days.
She said EU citizens and long-term residents and their family members would be exempt, along with workers who commute across borders, those delivering goods and those involved in the fight against the coronavirus.
The UK government would not be obliged to apply the ban, and UK citizens would not be affected by it, says the BBC's Brussels correspondent Adam Fleming.
The UK has left the EU but is currently in a transition period.
Several EU states including Germany and Spain have already announced border closures with EU neighbours.

US recession could be on horizon - Trump

President Trump has said the US could be heading for a recession due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Reporters at the White House press conference are deliberately putting empty seats between them, in a social distancing effort.
The US government has faced strong criticism for its slow pace of testing. Mr Trump said that before instituting mass testing, South Korea had experienced "tremendous problems and great numbers of death".
"This is something that is an invisible enemy," he said, adding that there was now a cross-party effort to fight it.
"My focus is on getting rid of this problem. This virus problem. After that everything else is going to fall into place."
"We're gonna back the airlines 100 percent. It's not their fault its nobody's fault," he continued, but added: "Unless you go to the regional source."

Switzerland declares emergency

Our reporter Imogen Foulkes has this from Geneva:
People here expected the state of emergency - with cases of the virus rising fast, many thought the government should have declared it on Friday, when it announced that schools would close.
But now that it has happened, Switzerland, one of the richest countries in the world, is facing at least a month with everything but the bare essentials closed. There will be no bars, no cafes, no restaurants, no sports, no nightclubs, no cinemas, no museums.
This evening in Bern people are heading to the bars for a last beer. Student Nadine is disappointed that her upcoming birthday party won’t happen, but says complaining feels a bit like a "first world problem".
Actually it’s quite fascinating," she says, "we are at a pivotal moment in history". Historic it certainly is: to support hospitals the Swiss government today mobilised the army, the first time that has happened since the start of World War Two.

Russia bans entry to foreigners until May

Russia has temporarily banned all foreigners from entering the country, following other nations worldwide in restricting travel over the coronavirus pandemic.
The ban will come into effect on 18 March and will remain in place until 1 May, the government said on Monday.
Exceptions will be made for diplomats and permanent residents. Some 93 cases of the virus have been reported so far in Russia.
Russia has been accused of spreading disinformation about the new coronavirus outbreak on social media . It has flatly denied those allegations.
It has also been slow compared to other countries in starting testing. This has led to speculation that the real number of cases is much higher than reported.
Russia's government says up to 100,000 testing kits are being produced daily to start testing in large numbers.

'Hiking is not vital at this time of war'

Countries in the Western Balkans and the former Yugoslavia have closed schools, shops and borders to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
In Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, the Monday afternoon streets were quieter than a standard Sunday morning. Public transport was not running, though adverts on the video screens next to the deserted bus stops reminded the non-existent passengers to practise good hygiene.
Further down the Balkan peninsula, borders have closed.
Croatia imposes a 14-day self-isolation period for many arrivals; Serbia has simply sealed its borders to almost everyone.
As Serbia is not an EU member, it is counting on help from elsewhere. President Aleksandar Vucic says China is suppling masks, ventilators and doctors.
Albania imposed a strict lockdown over the weekend and imposed a 6pm curfew from today. Even a daytime stroll in the park has been ruled out by Prime Minister Edi Rama.
“Hiking is not vital at this time of war,” he said on his Facebook page.

Labour: We will stand with all communities during crisis

Jeremy Corbyn - leader of the UK's Labour Party - has called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to extend full sick pay and lost earnings protection to all workers required to self-isolate.
He is also urging the government to reduce the waiting time for new universal credit claimants, ban eviction of tenants affected by the outbreak and raise statutory sick pay in line with other European countries.
"Jeremy Corbyn will emphasise that Labour stands with all communities during this crisis, and that the opposition will hold the government to account to ensure no-one is left behind," a party spokesman said.
Earlier today, Mr Johnson advised everyone in the UK to avoid "non-essential" travel and contact with others to fight the spread of Covid-19.
Read all the details here.

21:14 -

A round-up of a dramatic few hours

It's been a whirlwind few hours with dramatic announcements from both sides of the Atlantic and beyond.
Here's what you need to know:
In the UK:

• Everyone should avoid socialising and unecessary travel, and work from home where possible, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said
  

• If one person in any household develops a cough or fever, everyone living there should stay home for 14 days
  
• By next weekend, those with the most serious health conditions must be "largely shielded from social contact for around 12 weeks "
  
• The UK is now "three weeks" behind Italy - the worst-hit country in Europe. In London, the virus is spreading more rapidly than elsewhere, the PM said.
  

In other European countries:

• French President Emmanuel Macron ordered a nationwide lockdown, starting on Tuesday at midday and lasting for at least two weeks. Anyone breaking the quarantine could be punished
  
• The European Union will close its borders for 30 days from tomorrow to external visitors from non-EU countries, Mr Macron said, but travel with Switzerland and the UK will be preserved
  
• Germany announced stringent new measures that will close most shops and venues, and closed borders with several neighbours
  
• Switzerland declared a national emergency, closing public venues and borders
  

In the US:

• President Trump said that people should avoid meeting in groups of more than 10, but that a nationwide quarantine is not yet planned
  
• The outbreak will last "until July or August, or perhaps longer", the president said
  
• Millenials in particular are strongly encouraged to stop socialising and stay at home
  

In the markets:

• Global stocks plunged despite central banks taking action to ease the impact of the pandemic, including a Federal Reserve rate cut in the US
  

• The Dow Jones closed 12.9% down, the biggest fall in a day since 1987
  
• President Trump said the economy "may be" heading for a recession
  
• London's FTSE 100 ended 4% lower and other European markets saw similar fall
  

.

Foreign tourists have 72 hours to leave Philippines

Foreign tourists intending to leave the Philippines from international airports in the country’s main Luzon region have been given 72 hours to do so, starting from 16:00 GMT today.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte earlier announced that Luzon, which has an estimated population of more than 50 million people and includes the capital city, Metro Manila, is to be placed under strict “enhanced community quarantine” until 12 April.
The British embassy in Manila says “a small number” of British nationals are affected. On Sunday, Britons were advised against all but essential travel to the Philippines.
The government says the country currently has a total of 142 confirmed Covid-19 cases with 12 deaths.
But Dr Manuel Dayrit, the country’s health secretary during the SARS outbreak of 2003, believes the number is relatively low compared with other countries because not enough preemptive testing has been taking place.
“We are actually limited by the fact we are not doing any testing for COVID-19 in the community,” Dr Dayrit told BBC News.
“We are only testing the patients that show up in the hospitals usually with pneumonia, so we can only speculate how extensive community spread is.”

Measures could 'devastate' UK creative industries

Earlier this evening the UK government announced a number of new measures including advising people to avoid gatherings and crowded places. Here is a taste of how theatres in the UK have reacted:

• The National Theatre in London is cancelling all performances until further notice.
  
• Leeds Playhouse has cancelled tonight's performances of Be The Example, Be The Voice and Missing People and said it would be seeking advice on future performances
  
• The Ambassador Theatre Group UK is suspending shows at all its venues with immediate effect - this includes the Edinburgh Playhouse, the Savoy Theatre in London, the Manchester Opera House and the Theatre Royal Brighton
  

Head of the Creative Industries Federation and Creative England Caroline Norbury says the measures have the potential to "devastate" the UK's theatres, museums, cinemas and venues as well as those who work in the industry.
She says that as the social-distancing measures are "only advisory rather than an outright ban", creative organisations may be unable to claim compensation for the losses they could experience.
"It is vital that government puts in place support to ensure that our world-leading creative sector is able to survive Covid-19," she added.

Foodbank closes 'due to the outbreak'

Food banks in the UK say they are experiencing a shortage of basic items because shoppers are stockpiling as fears grow over the spread of coronavirus.
Organisers of one in Islington, north London, announced they had decided to close due to dwindling food supplies and a desire to protect the "health and safety of our volunteers and clients".
Other food banks across the UK have said some items including pasta and rice are hard to get.
It comes after UK supermarkets urged shoppers not to buy more than they need amid concern over coronavirus-linked stockpiling.

British doctor overseas returns to support NHS

Some British doctors working overseas are returning to the UK to help treat patients in the coronavirus outbreak, one doctor has told BBC News.
Red Elmahdi, who completed her medical training in the UK before specialising in epidemiology research, has flown back from the lab where she was working in Denmark.
"There’s little point my sitting around in lockdown doing research from home in Denmark when I’m seeing the mounting strain on the NHS," she explains.
However Dr Elmahdi says there has been no central co-ordination and she is relying on her locum agency to be placed in hospital.

What's the testing situation in the US?

The World Health Organization warned on Monday that testing is essential to stopping the pandemic. Questions have been raised in the US about the government's approach to testing and how widely available test kits are. So what's the situation there? It's hard to tell - and even officials have struggled to say how many individuals have been tested.
According to the latest figures , the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and public health labs have tested over 25,100 specimens for Coronavirus. But that number doesn't give a full picture of how many people were tested - because many people provide more than one specimen for testing, and many private health laboratories are also conducting tests.
One project by The Atlantic estimates that 41,550 people in the US have been tested. But that's still fewer than many other countries with smaller populations - including South Korea, which has tested 240,000, and the UK, which has tested 44,100.
The government has come under heavy criticism - from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers - over the lack of tests. President Trump has now promised that five million tests will be available within a month - but also warned: "We don't want everyone running out and taking [the test] - only if you have certain symptoms."
Read more about the US and coronavirus testing here.

France to mobilise 100,000 police to enforce lockdown

France will deploy 100,000 police officers to ensure that people abide by restrictions on movement to avoid the spread of coronavirus, its interior minister has said.
Christophe Castaner said people who venture outside their homes will have to justify their reason for doing so.
Speaking at a news conference, he said people may be fined if they break the rules.
Exceptions will be made in some circumstances, including for travel between home and work, Mr Castaner said.
"Too many people still disregard the health instructions given," Mr Castaner said.
His announcement comes after French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a series of drastic new measures designed to stem the spread of coronavirus.
From Tuesday, people should stay at home unless they are buying groceries, travelling to work, exercising or seeking medical care, Mr Macron said.

More on England's social distancing advice

Public Health England has published more details about the social distancing recommendations announced
earlier by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
It says those aged over 70 and pregnant women are among those who should "stringently" follow the advice on avoiding non-essential use of public transport, working from home and not having friends and family to visit.
And it warns that anyone under 70 with a range of underlying health conditions is also at increased risk of suffering "severe" illness. The conditions it lists include:

• Chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and bronchitis
  
• Heart disease
  
• Kidney disease
  
• Hepatitis
  
• Chronic neurological diseases, including Parkinson's and Motor Neurone disease
  
• Those with a weakened immune system as a result of treatment for HIV and cancer
  
• People with severe chest conditions such as cystic fibrosis
  

It also gives some tips to people on how to look after their mental health in the tough weeks and months ahead. It says people shouldn't fear going for a walk outdoors if they stay more than 2 metres from others.
Other advice includes:

• Spending time doing favourite hobbies, such as reading or cooking
  
• Eating healthily, exercising regularly and avoiding smoking, alcohol and drugs
  
• Keeping windows open to let in fresh air and getting some natural sunlight
  

Dire prediction sees shift in UK strategy

The UK's plan has shifted because the scientific modelling showed we were on course for a "catastrophic epidemic".
A strategy of just slowing the spread of the virus, but not trying to stop it, would have overwhelmed intensive care units.
The modelling by Imperial College London has been heavily informed by the experience in Italy and is influencing decisions at the heart of government.
Their calculations predicted 260,000 deaths in the UK.
Instead the plan is to drive down the number of cases to very low levels, which the models predict will limit deaths from coronavirus to the thousands or tens of thousands.
However, this approach comes with a major problem - there is no exit strategy.
Without the immunity that would build up if people were infected, then cases would soar as soon as measures are lifted.
The report said these could need to be in place until a vaccine is available, which could take up to 18 months.
We are in this for the long haul.

Labour's Corbyn in talks with the PM in Downing Street

Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the UK's Labour Party, has this evening been holding talks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Downing Street.
Speaking afterwards to the BBC, he said he supported many of the measures announced earlier but was critical of the government’s communication strategy and lack of support for citizens on low incomes.
"If this virus affects us all, as it does, we all have to be treated fairly and properly in this," he said.
He said he had told the PM that testing for the virus, particularly among NHS workers was "inadequate" and he was worried about the lack of ventilators and trained staff.
Mr Corbyn, who stands down next month, also said he would not be self-isolating even though he’s over 70.