by Summary for 27th March
The country with the highest number is now the United States, with 83,836 cases. That's followed by China with 81,782 - although most of those have recovered and the number of new infections in the country where the outbreak started is tiny.
In Europe, the worst-hit country remains Italy with more than 80,000 cases, and the world's worst death toll at 8,215.
Spain, Germany, France and Iran all have between 30,000 and 60,000 cases and the UK has now almost 12,000 confirmed infections and 580 deaths.
So far 1,209 people have died and 681 have recovered.
But by far the worst-affected state is New York which has seen 365 deaths and reports from hospitals in New York City depict a health system on the brink.
Observers continue to warn that the true number of US infections could be much higher - and they point the finger at a shortage of test kits.
Dr Habib Zaidi, 76, died in intensive care at Southend Hospital, Essex, 24 hours after falling ill on Tuesday. His daughter Dr Sarah Zaidi, also a GP, said he showed "textbook symptoms" of the virus.
If test results confirm he had Covid-19, he would be the first doctor in the UK to die from the virus.
Dr Sarah Zaidi told the BBC: "For that to be the thing that took him is too much to bear. It is reflective of his sacrifice. He had a vocational attitude to service.
"He was treated as a definitive case. There is little clinical doubt it is coronavirus, the test result is academic."
Dr Habib Zaidi, a GP in Leigh-on-Sea for more than 45 years, had been self-isolating and not seen patients in person for about a week.
His wife Dr Talat Zaidi and all their four children work in the medical profession.
Last week, both countries agreed to close their border to non-essential travel to slow the spread of the virus. A US official said the troops would help border patrol officers enforce this ban.
But Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said it was "strongly opposed to this", calling it a "entirely unnecessary step which we would view as damaging to our relationship".
However, the Wall Street Journal is now reporting that the US has since scrapped these plans after Canada's strong objections. We'll bring you more details on this when we have them.
The Foreign Ministry said the temporary ban would kick in on 28 March.
Exemptions will be given to travelling diplomats and holders of "C" visas - foreigners who provide international transportation services.
It comes as the number of imported cases continues to rise as more Chinese nationals return home.
China recorded one domestic case and 54 new imported cases on Thursday - there are now 595 imported cases across the country.
There were also five new deaths reported, bringing the total death toll to 3,292
Anyone still overseas has been urged to get in touch but some are stranded in countries that have already closed their borders.
Starting Saturday, all shops except pharmacies and grocery stores are to close for one week. It's what President Putin called a "non-working" in an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus.
In Moscow, the mayor has ordered the closure of all bars, restaurants and city parks while international rail and sea routes to and from Russia are also closed and foreigners were stopped from entering the country a week ago.
All but essential movement is forbidden and both the army and the police are enforcing the measures.
Food shops are allowed to stay open although alcohol sales are banned. Jogging and dog-walking are also prohibited.
Ahead of the midnight deadline there were long queues outside supermarkets as people stocked up on essentials.
South Africa has reported 927 coronavirus infections - the highest number in Africa - but so far no deaths.
Here are some of the other updates from Europe:
He says this is because the majority - two-thirds of the cases in Australia - are from returning travellers.
Australia's case numbers have escalated from 700 to over 3,000 in the past week.
So far there are no confirmed cases, but health officials there fear as many as 100,000 might die unless medical supplies arrive urgently
It all began when Mahita Nagaraj received a call from a friend in the UK asking her to help arrange some medicines for her "very elderly parents".
Ms Nagaraj found out that other friends living overseas needed help checking in on their parents too - and soon, a collective emerged.
"There is so much scaremongering in the current scenario," she says.
"We are trying to address the feeling of helplessness. We are telling people to stop spreading fear and panic, and instead spread love."
Read more about India's caremongering community here
There has now has been a sharp rise in confirmed infections, CNN says citing navy officials. While there were initially only three sailors who tested positive, that number is now 25, according to the broadcaster.
An official statement by the US navy merely says "additional positive cases of Covid-19 have been discovered aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt".
The infected are being isolated and the ship is being deep cleaned. The carrier is headed for Guam but sailors won't be allowed to go beyond the pier.
Returning Australians will be held in the city they arrive in, rather than their home state.
"If their home is in South Australia or in Perth or in Tasmania and they have arrived in Melbourne, they will be quarantining in Melbourne," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
He declined to say how many people would likely be affected but said around 7,000 people arrived in the country yesterday.
Australia has already enforced a travel ban and told returning arrivals to self-isolate in their homes for 14 days.
However reports surfaced this week of people breaking those rules, and straying outside. Mr Morrison said the military would now help police in enforcing that self-isolation.
Two-thirds of Australia's cases are imported or linked to infected people who have returned.
The latest regulations went into effect at 11:59pm on Thursday.
This is a pretty typical approach by Singapore’s government to make sure people do what they’re told. Penalties work here. You can still head out to restaurants and cafes, as long as you practise these safe social distancing measures. Offices and schools are open too.
The strategy appears to be shaving off salami slice pieces off our social lives bit by bit, so even if it isn’t officially called a lockdown, it certainly feels like one.
How they will enforce these new rules though - is another question altogether. The government’s language on this is ambiguous: it says if you’re caught intentionally sitting next to each other closer than a metre then you could be in violation of the law. But how do you determine what’s intentional?
While Singapore has won plaudits internationally for its efforts to combat the coronavirus, at home many people are frustrated that schools have been kept open. Clusters of infections amongst staff at a pre-school and international school have raised concerns of wider spread of the disease in the community.
There is also growing concern that the country will see a rise in imported Covid-19 cases from Iran, where the virus has spread like wildfire.
Fighting the infection in developing countries like Pakistan is particularly tough, where large extended families live together, often in crowded conditions, and where healthcare systems are already struggling.
One health expert warned the country was heading for "disaster" if adequate preventions were not implemented and another told the BBC "domestic transmission" within Pakistan was now his main concern.
Read more here .
In Mauritius, though, the lockdown is total - and includes supermarkets, shops, and bakeries.
There was already a curfew in place but the government said "many individuals are not respecting the laws as regards the national confinement, thus the need to implement this complete lockdown".
The measures began in the Indian Ocean island nation earlier this week and last until 31 March.
The country has 81 cases but no deaths.
A Japanese city sent 4,500 masks to its sister city in China while the country was at its peak of fighting the outbreak, say local media reports.
But Toyokawa has now found itself in short supply of masks as the spread of the virus continues to worsen in Japan.
Officials in the Chinese city, Xinwu, decided it would repay the gift of face masks by more than ten-fold, sending 50,000 face masks to Toyokawa.
"We want to return the favour that was offered to us when our district was having a difficult time," said a Xinwu official, according to an Asahi Shimbun report.
Researchers at Singapore's national agency A*STAR have so far claimed the quickest timing - they say they've developed a test that can tell if a person has Covid-19 in five minutes.
They hope to submit the test for approval in a month's time.
But they've got some competition. UK-based company Mologic Ltd say they've sent prototypes to laboratories for a 10-minute coronavirus test. They say the price of a single test will be $1, and the test could be rolled out as early as June if the trials are successful. And then there's Bosch - a common household name for many. The German company has become the latest firm to roll out a Covid-19 test. It says it can diagnose in less than two and a half hours and that the device will be available in Germany in April.
One resident, Marcus Chan - who's serving out his notice at the swanky 5-star Swissotel - has been tweeting pictures of his new life.
It includes his laundry being picked up in special bags to prevent contamination, his meals being sent to him (complete with menu options) and pictures of a very nice view
The fashioner designer announced the shift in production through its charitable arm on Thursday.
The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation will start making 250,000 masks and 25,000 isolation gowns in the US.
Other fashion brands have also pledged to help make urgently needed medical wear.
The deaths were confirmed by the chief of MG Hospital, Rajan Nanda.
"The source of the infection is still not clear. We haven’t found any foreign contact history," Dr Nanda told me.
Bhilwara, a textile manufacturing hub that is home to some 400,000 people, could well be India's first coronavirus "hotspot" .
It has reported 17 positive cases as of this morning. And officials told me that more than 6,000 of the city's residents are home quarantined.
Dr Nanda said his hospital alone was testing some 950 samples, including those of the relatives of the patients who have died.
Both had underlying medical conditions such as hypertension and heart disease, he added.
India has 640 active coronavirus cases - and Rajasthan overall has reported 41 cases.
The virus broke out in China late last year - and Mr Trump had repeatedly called it the "Chinese Virus".
There's none of that, though, in his tweet about the phone call.
He writes: "China has been through much & has developed a strong understanding of the Virus. We are working closely together. Much respect!"
According to Chinese state media, Mr Xi said China and US must "unite to fight the virus".
He also insisted Beijing had always been transparent about the initial outbreak - disputing a claim by Mr Trump that China told the world too late.
President Xi also said he'd offered support to the US and that he hopes Washington takes measures to safeguard the health of Chinese nationals in the US.
China is already sending help to several European, Asian and African countries struggling with high numbers of infected patients.
But how? What can you do to stop the spread of bad information?
If you're in a rush, here's the lowdown:
If you have more time, do read our explainer, with more details.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick went on Twitter to urge people not to move house unless absolutely necessary - and if it is, to do so while maintaining social distance.
It's hard to keep up with all of the new rules and regulations that have been put in place. We're hoping this helps to answer some of the questions you might have:
How do I know if I have the virus?
Read more here.
What does it look like to stay two metres away from someone?
Watch this to find out.
Could I get infected while doing my grocery shop?
Here's how to avoid it.
How much of a risk does the virus pose to young people?
Find out here.
How deadly is the virus?
Here's what we know so far.
Gemma Turpin and Jake Moss were meant to get married on 24 April, reports the Yorkshire Evening Post . But the outbreak meant their wedding has had to be cancelled.
This isn't the first time this has happened. Their first wedding date in 2017 was also cancelled when their son, now 10, developed pneumonia.
The couple, who have been together 14 years, say they "don't have much luck".
They hope to re-book their wedding for 2021, saying they were crossing their fingers for "third time lucky"
Health Minister Zwelini Mkhize said both occurred in the Western Cape - one at a private hospital, the other a public hospital.
Dr Mkhize said updated figures on coronavirus cases would be released shortly, but that they had risen to more than 1,000 since yesterday.
Security forces have begun enforcing a three-week nationwide lockdown in an effort to stem the spread of the disease.
Anyone violating the new restrictions faces six months' imprisonment or a heavy fine.
Over 3,100 cases have now been reported around the country. Several states and territories are in effect locked down. The government has also announced two economic stimulus packages worth A$189bn (£94bn, $109bn).
The governmental response has been affecting all Australians - some more than others.
It announced on Friday that indoor gatherings of more than 20 people and outdoor gatherings of 10 people or more would be banned, said a Reuters report.
There are currently 153 confirmed coronavirus cases in Vietnam, with no known deaths.
The country, which borders China, has been praised for its efforts in containing the disease. Much of this, the government says, is down to contact tracing.
"The important thing is, you need to know the number of people who might have come in contact with the disease, or returned from pandemic areas, then perform tests on these people," one senior official advising Vietnam's Emergency.
In their letter, the group warned of the risk of an "epidemic of abuse" as victims are forced to stay indoors because of home-working, self-isolation and, in some cases, a reduction in job hours. They say domestic abuse rates have tripled in China since the lockdown began there.
"[Hotels] can make a difference to some of the most vulnerable women who otherwise have no-one to turn to for security, comfort and support," the letter reads.
Signatories include Labour MPs Jess Phillips and Carolyn Harris, and groups including Southall Black Sisters and the Jo Cox Foundation.
Sainsbury’s and Waitrose say they will begin writing to people on the list next week.
There is concern that those most in danger from the virus are going into stores because of a lack of online shopping slots.
People in high-risk households have told the BBC they are struggling to get priority treatment online or in stores. Read more here.
But confusion over what counts as an essential service has led to nearly "five million truck drivers being stranded without food and access to sanitation across the country's highways", according to transport expert SP Singh.
Many have been forced to sleep in the back of their trucks as they haven't been able to get back home. Some are also stuck outside factories, unable to offload high-value cargo because of prohibitory orders from local authorities.
"This could quickly morph into a law and order problem with robberies if the government doesn’t intervene,” says Balmalkit Singh, a transport lobbyist. He urged the government to dispatch food and set up shelter camps for these people.
The situation has also disrupted deliveries of food and other perishables. But these interruptions are easing as states slowly allow more movement for essential goods.
However, the long-term costs of the lockdown are high. The pandemic is quickly morphing into a humanitarian crisis in India. Several thousand stranded migrant workers have been forced to walk hundreds of kilometres across state lines just to reach their homes.
The western state of Maharashtra has decided to release on parole 11,000 convicts who have been sentenced to less than seven years. And Delhi’s maximum security Tihar jail will also release about 3,000 prisoners.
They include convicts who will be released on parole, and under-trials on temporary bail.
Indian prisons are notoriously overcrowded, making them potential virus hotspots. According to one estimate, there are some 400,000 prisoners in more than 1,300 jails. The majority of them are awaiting investigation or trial.
Earlier in the week, the Supreme Court asked states to consider releasing all convicts who have been jailed up to seven years to decongest the prisons in a bid to help curb the virus.
If nothing is done, the world could see 40 million deaths this year, the study suggests - but social distancing could reduce this number by around half.
If countries adopt further measures at an early stage - including testing, isolating cases and wider social distancing to prevent transmission to more people - 38.7 million lives could be saved.
But the study warns that developing countries are likely to suffer the worst effects of the outbreak.
In France, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe says the epidemic that started in the east is now in the Paris region. Hospitals could reach saturation point around the capital within 24 to 48 hours, according to the Hospital Federation of France. Some 1.2 million residents in the area have left in the past week according to data analysed by mobile phone company Orange. On Thursday evening, officials said France had seen 1,696 deaths, including 365 in the past 24 hours.
Crimes in the deserted cities of Italy have plummeted by 64% in March, compared to the same period in 2019, but computer-based crime is rising, the interior ministry warns. That chimes with a new report from EU police agency Europol, which says criminals are focusing on fake sanitary goods , phone scams and cybercrime.
Elsewhere:
BBC News, Islamabad
The Pakistani government is still reluctant to annoy the religious lobby by ordering a blanket ban on congregational prayers in mosques - even though such congregations have been banned in several Islamic countries amid the coronavirus outbreak.
On Thursday, it indicated it may "restrict" mosque congregations, but stopped short of spelling out details.
However, the provincial government in Sindh, which has recorded the most cases in the country, has taken the lead by ordering that only up to five people - the prayer leader and mosque staff - could offer joint prayers in a mosque.
The restrictions came ahead of Friday congregational prayers which are usually attended by large crowds. They'll be in force until 5 April.
Hours later, the government of another province, Balochistan, ordered similar limits on joint prayers until 4 April.
The indecision of the federal government, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, appears to stem from its reluctance to annoy influential professional clerics at a time of the year when they raise donations to run their activities.
The present Islamic month, Shaban, and the one to follow, Ramadan, are the time for the faithful to pay Zakat, or an annual Islamic tax. Much of this money finds its way into more than 35,000 religious seminaries run by these clerics across the country.
The mainstream Hanafi sect runs the bulk of these seminaries, and has been the most vocal in opposing restrictions on religious gatherings.
Even though emergency services are already under pressure, "we can and will get through it together," Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
A new agreement between fire service organisations will allow firefighters to take on extra duties to support other services, driving emergency vehicles or delivering supplies to vulnerable people.
"Many fear the loss of life in this outbreak could be overwhelming - and firefighters, who often handle terrible situations and incidents, are ready to step in to assist with body retrieval," Mr Wrack said.
"Firefighters and control staff have always stepped in when the public has been in danger and this crisis is no different."
The deal, which lasts for two months but could be extended, comes as the Metropolitan Police calls for retired officers to rejoin during the crisis
The EU is famous for kicking difficult decisions down the road but in coronavirus terms, with spiralling infection and death rates, two weeks feels like an eternity.
Spain and Italy - ravaged by the effects of the virus on their populations and their limited public finances - were deeply disappointed.
Italy was already one of the EU's most Eurosceptic member states before Covid-19 hit. Italian Twitter was littered with expletives on Thursday - and those were just the posts from politicians.
President Emmanuel Macron of France is said to have told leaders the political reaction after the crisis could spell the end of the EU.
The thing is, the coronavirus simply highlights already existing, well-known difficulties in the EU.
Read the full analysis from Katya here.
A letter from Dame Louise Casey, Boris Johnson's housing adviser, tells councils to redouble efforts to ensure everyone is "inside and safe by this weekend" due to the "public health emergency".
She says: “These are unusual times so I’m asking for an unusual effort. Many areas of the country have already been able to ’safe harbour’ their people which is incredible. What we need to do now though is work out how we can get ‘everyone in’.”
It is important to close down street encampments as they are "high-risk" for spreading coronavirus, Dame Louise says.
In a trial last weekend, rough sleepers were put up in about 300 hotel rooms in London .
Homeless charity Crisis says the move is a "landmark moment" but questions remain about what support local councils will receive to achieve this.
"The Government has committed to ending rough sleeping by 2025 - this proves it can be done in 2020 if we make it the priority it deserves to be," says chief executive Jon Sparkes.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has not yet commented.
More than half a million infected worldwide
There are now almost 530,000 people worldwide confirmed with the new coronavirus. While more than 120,000 have recovered, the global death toll stands at just under 24,000.The country with the highest number is now the United States, with 83,836 cases. That's followed by China with 81,782 - although most of those have recovered and the number of new infections in the country where the outbreak started is tiny.
In Europe, the worst-hit country remains Italy with more than 80,000 cases, and the world's worst death toll at 8,215.
Spain, Germany, France and Iran all have between 30,000 and 60,000 cases and the UK has now almost 12,000 confirmed infections and 580 deaths.
Epicentre of the epicentre: New York state
Looking at those US numbers in a bit more detail is illuminating. More testing explains this steep rise in confirmed infections: 83,836 is the number right now, but that is likely to soar once again.So far 1,209 people have died and 681 have recovered.
But by far the worst-affected state is New York which has seen 365 deaths and reports from hospitals in New York City depict a health system on the brink.
Observers continue to warn that the true number of US infections could be much higher - and they point the finger at a shortage of test kits.
Doctor dies in the UK from suspected coronavirus
The family of a GP who has died of suspected coronavirus have said he sacrificed his life for his profession.Dr Habib Zaidi, 76, died in intensive care at Southend Hospital, Essex, 24 hours after falling ill on Tuesday. His daughter Dr Sarah Zaidi, also a GP, said he showed "textbook symptoms" of the virus.
If test results confirm he had Covid-19, he would be the first doctor in the UK to die from the virus.
Dr Sarah Zaidi told the BBC: "For that to be the thing that took him is too much to bear. It is reflective of his sacrifice. He had a vocational attitude to service.
"He was treated as a definitive case. There is little clinical doubt it is coronavirus, the test result is academic."
Dr Habib Zaidi, a GP in Leigh-on-Sea for more than 45 years, had been self-isolating and not seen patients in person for about a week.
His wife Dr Talat Zaidi and all their four children work in the medical profession.
Canada 'strongly opposes' US border troops plan
Canada has criticised a US proposal to deploy troops along their undefended joint border, calling it "unnecessary".Last week, both countries agreed to close their border to non-essential travel to slow the spread of the virus. A US official said the troops would help border patrol officers enforce this ban.
But Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said it was "strongly opposed to this", calling it a "entirely unnecessary step which we would view as damaging to our relationship".
However, the Wall Street Journal is now reporting that the US has since scrapped these plans after Canada's strong objections. We'll bring you more details on this when we have them.
China to close off country to foreigners
China will soon ban foreigners with valid Chinese visas and residence permits, in a drastic move to limit the number of imported virus cases in the country.The Foreign Ministry said the temporary ban would kick in on 28 March.
Exemptions will be given to travelling diplomats and holders of "C" visas - foreigners who provide international transportation services.
It comes as the number of imported cases continues to rise as more Chinese nationals return home.
China recorded one domestic case and 54 new imported cases on Thursday - there are now 595 imported cases across the country.
There were also five new deaths reported, bringing the total death toll to 3,292
What's happening in Australia?
Here are some of the latest developments:- More than 3,000 people have now tested positive, with 13 deaths
- Federal and state leaders met this morning. There are no announcements yet - but local media reports that stricter lockdowns and rental assistance measures are being considered
- PM Scott Morrison has told G20 leaders that Australia will help small Pacific nations get access to "critical health services"
- Hundreds of Australians stranded in Peru and Uruguay will return home on specially arranged flights, the government says
Russia suspends international flights
Starting Friday, Russia has suspended all international flights. The only exception are special flights evacuating Russians from abroad.Anyone still overseas has been urged to get in touch but some are stranded in countries that have already closed their borders.
Starting Saturday, all shops except pharmacies and grocery stores are to close for one week. It's what President Putin called a "non-working" in an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus.
In Moscow, the mayor has ordered the closure of all bars, restaurants and city parks while international rail and sea routes to and from Russia are also closed and foreigners were stopped from entering the country a week ago.
South Africa heads into lockdown
South African has begun enforcing a three-week nationwide lockdown in an effort to stem the spread of the virus.All but essential movement is forbidden and both the army and the police are enforcing the measures.
Food shops are allowed to stay open although alcohol sales are banned. Jogging and dog-walking are also prohibited.
Ahead of the midnight deadline there were long queues outside supermarkets as people stocked up on essentials.
South Africa has reported 927 coronavirus infections - the highest number in Africa - but so far no deaths.
Fears over Italy's south
The epicentre in Europe remains Italy and despite a slowing death rate, there are now fears that the county's south and the regions around Rome and Naples might emerge as the next hotbeds . So far, the heart of the outbreak which has killed more than 8,000 people in the county was in the north. In the past 24 hours, Italy has seen more than 700 deaths.Here are some of the other updates from Europe:
- In Spain, the death toll rose by 655 and the number of infections is at around 60,000.
- In France, 365 people have died, the highest number in a one-day period. The dead included a 16-year-old girl. The country has around 30,000 confirmed cases.
- The UK has recorded more than 100 deaths within a day for the first time. The country's overall death toll is now 587, out of almost 12,000 cases.
- Germany has more than 43,000 infections with a death toll of 267
Australia will quarantine all returning citizens in hotels
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has just announced that all Australians returning to the nation will be quarantined for 14 days in hotels and other accommodation, rather than in their own homes.He says this is because the majority - two-thirds of the cases in Australia - are from returning travellers.
Australia's case numbers have escalated from 700 to over 3,000 in the past week.
Fears of virus in Syrian refugee camps
There have been stark warnings from doctors, aid workers and the United Nations that camps for the displaced in North Western Syria could be devastated by an outbreak of coronavirus.So far there are no confirmed cases, but health officials there fear as many as 100,000 might die unless medical supplies arrive urgently
The online community helping India's most vulnerable
With India under lockdown and social distancing being advised to deal with the threat of the coronavirus, an online collective of "Caremongers" is reaching out to help the elderly and other vulnerable groups.It all began when Mahita Nagaraj received a call from a friend in the UK asking her to help arrange some medicines for her "very elderly parents".
Ms Nagaraj found out that other friends living overseas needed help checking in on their parents too - and soon, a collective emerged.
"There is so much scaremongering in the current scenario," she says.
"We are trying to address the feeling of helplessness. We are telling people to stop spreading fear and panic, and instead spread love."
Read more about India's caremongering community here
US aircraft carrier cases soar
As we've been reporting all week, a US aircraft carrier has become the first to report a number of virus cases on board.There has now has been a sharp rise in confirmed infections, CNN says citing navy officials. While there were initially only three sailors who tested positive, that number is now 25, according to the broadcaster.
An official statement by the US navy merely says "additional positive cases of Covid-19 have been discovered aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt".
The infected are being isolated and the ship is being deep cleaned. The carrier is headed for Guam but sailors won't be allowed to go beyond the pier.
More on Australia's traveller quarantine
The mandatory quarantine in hotels will apply to all those flying in after Saturday midnight local time (13:00 GMT).Returning Australians will be held in the city they arrive in, rather than their home state.
"If their home is in South Australia or in Perth or in Tasmania and they have arrived in Melbourne, they will be quarantining in Melbourne," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
He declined to say how many people would likely be affected but said around 7,000 people arrived in the country yesterday.
Australia has already enforced a travel ban and told returning arrivals to self-isolate in their homes for 14 days.
However reports surfaced this week of people breaking those rules, and straying outside. Mr Morrison said the military would now help police in enforcing that self-isolation.
Two-thirds of Australia's cases are imported or linked to infected people who have returned.
Jail time and fines for not social distancing
Friday night plans? Well if you’re in Singapore, you better make sure you keep one metre distance from others or you could be fined up to S$10,000, jailed for up to six months, or both.The latest regulations went into effect at 11:59pm on Thursday.
This is a pretty typical approach by Singapore’s government to make sure people do what they’re told. Penalties work here. You can still head out to restaurants and cafes, as long as you practise these safe social distancing measures. Offices and schools are open too.
The strategy appears to be shaving off salami slice pieces off our social lives bit by bit, so even if it isn’t officially called a lockdown, it certainly feels like one.
How they will enforce these new rules though - is another question altogether. The government’s language on this is ambiguous: it says if you’re caught intentionally sitting next to each other closer than a metre then you could be in violation of the law. But how do you determine what’s intentional?
While Singapore has won plaudits internationally for its efforts to combat the coronavirus, at home many people are frustrated that schools have been kept open. Clusters of infections amongst staff at a pre-school and international school have raised concerns of wider spread of the disease in the community.
Rising cases in Pakistan prompts fears of a 'disaster'
Cases in Pakistan continue to surge. The government reported 66 new cases on Thursday, taking the total to 1,057 - which is more than three times the number of cases a week ago.There is also growing concern that the country will see a rise in imported Covid-19 cases from Iran, where the virus has spread like wildfire.
Fighting the infection in developing countries like Pakistan is particularly tough, where large extended families live together, often in crowded conditions, and where healthcare systems are already struggling.
One health expert warned the country was heading for "disaster" if adequate preventions were not implemented and another told the BBC "domestic transmission" within Pakistan was now his main concern.
Read more here .
What's the situation across South Asia?
Here are the latest updates from the region:- positive cases continue to climb in Pakistan, the worst-hit country in the region with more than 1,000 cases, and there are growing fears of imported cases from Iran
- India announced a bailout of nearly $23bn (£18.8bn) for its most vulnerable and poor, but experts question if its enough. Seventeen have died so far in India, which has 640 confirmed cases
- a special task force in Sri Lanka is helping to "maintain" civilian life after the entire island nation was put under strict curfew.
- experts worry that one million Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar are vulnerable to coronavirus infections, saying the cramped camps are fertile grounds for the disease
- and about 500 foreign trekkers are stranded across four trekking routes in Nepal after the country locked down its borders. The country has confirmed three cases so far
Lockdown means lockdown in Mauritius
Countries around the world are in lockdown - although what that means varies from place to place.In Mauritius, though, the lockdown is total - and includes supermarkets, shops, and bakeries.
There was already a curfew in place but the government said "many individuals are not respecting the laws as regards the national confinement, thus the need to implement this complete lockdown".
The measures began in the Indian Ocean island nation earlier this week and last until 31 March.
The country has 81 cases but no deaths.
Chinese city sends 50,000 masks to Japan
Here's a heartwarming story to come out of the crisis.A Japanese city sent 4,500 masks to its sister city in China while the country was at its peak of fighting the outbreak, say local media reports.
But Toyokawa has now found itself in short supply of masks as the spread of the virus continues to worsen in Japan.
Officials in the Chinese city, Xinwu, decided it would repay the gift of face masks by more than ten-fold, sending 50,000 face masks to Toyokawa.
"We want to return the favour that was offered to us when our district was having a difficult time," said a Xinwu official, according to an Asahi Shimbun report.
Scientists race to get fastest test results
The race to find a Covid-19 test that can deliver results in the quickest time is on.Researchers at Singapore's national agency A*STAR have so far claimed the quickest timing - they say they've developed a test that can tell if a person has Covid-19 in five minutes.
They hope to submit the test for approval in a month's time.
But they've got some competition. UK-based company Mologic Ltd say they've sent prototypes to laboratories for a 10-minute coronavirus test. They say the price of a single test will be $1, and the test could be rolled out as early as June if the trials are successful. And then there's Bosch - a common household name for many. The German company has become the latest firm to roll out a Covid-19 test. It says it can diagnose in less than two and a half hours and that the device will be available in Germany in April.
Quarantine in a 5-star hotel
Singapore has been putting returning residents from the UK and the US into hotels to serve out their 14-day stay-at-home notice.One resident, Marcus Chan - who's serving out his notice at the swanky 5-star Swissotel - has been tweeting pictures of his new life.
It includes his laundry being picked up in special bags to prevent contamination, his meals being sent to him (complete with menu options) and pictures of a very nice view
Ralph Lauren to make masks and gowns
Ralph Lauren is to start making medical masks and gowns - the latest designer brand to lend its support to the coronavirus fight.The fashioner designer announced the shift in production through its charitable arm on Thursday.
The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation will start making 250,000 masks and 25,000 isolation gowns in the US.
Other fashion brands have also pledged to help make urgently needed medical wear.
India 'hotspot' reports its first deaths
Two Covid-19 patients, both around 70, have died in Bhilwara, a city in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan.The deaths were confirmed by the chief of MG Hospital, Rajan Nanda.
"The source of the infection is still not clear. We haven’t found any foreign contact history," Dr Nanda told me.
Bhilwara, a textile manufacturing hub that is home to some 400,000 people, could well be India's first coronavirus "hotspot" .
It has reported 17 positive cases as of this morning. And officials told me that more than 6,000 of the city's residents are home quarantined.
Dr Nanda said his hospital alone was testing some 950 samples, including those of the relatives of the patients who have died.
Both had underlying medical conditions such as hypertension and heart disease, he added.
India has 640 active coronavirus cases - and Rajasthan overall has reported 41 cases.
'Much respect', says Trump after Xi call
US President Donald Trump has held a phone call with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to discuss the pandemic.The virus broke out in China late last year - and Mr Trump had repeatedly called it the "Chinese Virus".
There's none of that, though, in his tweet about the phone call.
He writes: "China has been through much & has developed a strong understanding of the Virus. We are working closely together. Much respect!"
Donald J. Trump@realDonaldTrump
Just finished a very good conversation with President Xi of China. Discussed in great detail the CoronaVirus that is ravaging large parts of our Planet. China has been through much & has developed a strong understanding of the Virus. We are working closely together. Much respect!
Xi tells Trump that China was transparent
We now also have the Xi Jinping take on that phone call with Donald Trump.According to Chinese state media, Mr Xi said China and US must "unite to fight the virus".
He also insisted Beijing had always been transparent about the initial outbreak - disputing a claim by Mr Trump that China told the world too late.
President Xi also said he'd offered support to the US and that he hopes Washington takes measures to safeguard the health of Chinese nationals in the US.
China is already sending help to several European, Asian and African countries struggling with high numbers of infected patients.
Balcony bingo in Australia
"Full house!" Not too full, we hope - remember that social distancing...How to stop misinformation going viral
Coronavirus misinformation is flooding social media and messenger apps. Experts are calling on the public to practice "information hygiene".But how? What can you do to stop the spread of bad information?
If you're in a rush, here's the lowdown:
- Stop and think. If in doubt, check the facts elsewhere
- Check the sources, even if they look legit it might be fake
- If you're not sure, then don't share
- Beware of emotional posts and potential bias
If you have more time, do read our explainer, with more details.
'Don't move house,' says UK Housing Secretary
For many in the UK who have plans of moving house this Friday, it's probably best to delay it if possible.Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick went on Twitter to urge people not to move house unless absolutely necessary - and if it is, to do so while maintaining social distance.
Your worries and questions
It's a stressful time for many as the coronavirus pandemic shows no signs of slowing down. Schools have been shut, countries have closed their borders and many are in self-isolation at home.It's hard to keep up with all of the new rules and regulations that have been put in place. We're hoping this helps to answer some of the questions you might have:
How do I know if I have the virus?
Read more here.
What does it look like to stay two metres away from someone?
Watch this to find out.
Could I get infected while doing my grocery shop?
Here's how to avoid it.
How much of a risk does the virus pose to young people?
Find out here.
How deadly is the virus?
Here's what we know so far.
Drone sprays disinfectant over Indonesian city
In the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, authorities have been trialling a mass sanitisation project since last week involving drones spraying disinfectant liquid over public and residential areas. They've adapted drones originally used in agriculture to spray crops and fields, modifying them to work in more congested settings like cities, reports Indonesian newspaper Tempo.Couple forced to cancel wedding again
A couple from Leeds have had to cancel their wedding - again.Gemma Turpin and Jake Moss were meant to get married on 24 April, reports the Yorkshire Evening Post . But the outbreak meant their wedding has had to be cancelled.
This isn't the first time this has happened. Their first wedding date in 2017 was also cancelled when their son, now 10, developed pneumonia.
The couple, who have been together 14 years, say they "don't have much luck".
They hope to re-book their wedding for 2021, saying they were crossing their fingers for "third time lucky"
South Africa reports first two deaths
South Africa has confirmed its first two deaths from coronavirus.Health Minister Zwelini Mkhize said both occurred in the Western Cape - one at a private hospital, the other a public hospital.
Dr Mkhize said updated figures on coronavirus cases would be released shortly, but that they had risen to more than 1,000 since yesterday.
Security forces have begun enforcing a three-week nationwide lockdown in an effort to stem the spread of the disease.
Anyone violating the new restrictions faces six months' imprisonment or a heavy fine.
The scene in Australia
Earlier, we reported on Australia's latest preventative measure: all citizens returning from abroad will be quarantined in hotels for 14 days.Over 3,100 cases have now been reported around the country. Several states and territories are in effect locked down. The government has also announced two economic stimulus packages worth A$189bn (£94bn, $109bn).
The governmental response has been affecting all Australians - some more than others.
Vietnam bans large public gatherings
Vietnam has become the latest country to ban large public gatherings.It announced on Friday that indoor gatherings of more than 20 people and outdoor gatherings of 10 people or more would be banned, said a Reuters report.
There are currently 153 confirmed coronavirus cases in Vietnam, with no known deaths.
The country, which borders China, has been praised for its efforts in containing the disease. Much of this, the government says, is down to contact tracing.
"The important thing is, you need to know the number of people who might have come in contact with the disease, or returned from pandemic areas, then perform tests on these people," one senior official advising Vietnam's Emergency.
Call for hotels to shelter domestic abuse victims
Two MPs and 33 women's rights organisations have written to major hotel chains in the UK asking them to offer beds to domestic abuse victims trapped during the lockdown.In their letter, the group warned of the risk of an "epidemic of abuse" as victims are forced to stay indoors because of home-working, self-isolation and, in some cases, a reduction in job hours. They say domestic abuse rates have tripled in China since the lockdown began there.
"[Hotels] can make a difference to some of the most vulnerable women who otherwise have no-one to turn to for security, comfort and support," the letter reads.
Signatories include Labour MPs Jess Phillips and Carolyn Harris, and groups including Southall Black Sisters and the Jo Cox Foundation.
Supermarkets to get government list of vulnerable people
UK supermarkets will use a government database of 1.5 million vulnerable shoppers to help prioritise delivery slots.Sainsbury’s and Waitrose say they will begin writing to people on the list next week.
There is concern that those most in danger from the virus are going into stores because of a lack of online shopping slots.
People in high-risk households have told the BBC they are struggling to get priority treatment online or in stores. Read more here.
'Five million truck drivers stranded' across India
With India in the grips of a national 21-day lockdown, only those performing essential services are being allowed to work.But confusion over what counts as an essential service has led to nearly "five million truck drivers being stranded without food and access to sanitation across the country's highways", according to transport expert SP Singh.
Many have been forced to sleep in the back of their trucks as they haven't been able to get back home. Some are also stuck outside factories, unable to offload high-value cargo because of prohibitory orders from local authorities.
"This could quickly morph into a law and order problem with robberies if the government doesn’t intervene,” says Balmalkit Singh, a transport lobbyist. He urged the government to dispatch food and set up shelter camps for these people.
The situation has also disrupted deliveries of food and other perishables. But these interruptions are easing as states slowly allow more movement for essential goods.
However, the long-term costs of the lockdown are high. The pandemic is quickly morphing into a humanitarian crisis in India. Several thousand stranded migrant workers have been forced to walk hundreds of kilometres across state lines just to reach their homes.
India to release prisoners from overcrowded jails
India is planning to release prisoners to prevent the spread of infection in its overcrowded prisons.The western state of Maharashtra has decided to release on parole 11,000 convicts who have been sentenced to less than seven years. And Delhi’s maximum security Tihar jail will also release about 3,000 prisoners.
They include convicts who will be released on parole, and under-trials on temporary bail.
Indian prisons are notoriously overcrowded, making them potential virus hotspots. According to one estimate, there are some 400,000 prisoners in more than 1,300 jails. The majority of them are awaiting investigation or trial.
Earlier in the week, the Supreme Court asked states to consider releasing all convicts who have been jailed up to seven years to decongest the prisons in a bid to help curb the virus.
Early action could save over 30m lives - Imperial College study
More than 30 million lives could be saved if countries across the globe implement strict measures in response to the spread of coronavirus, researchers from Imperial College London have said.If nothing is done, the world could see 40 million deaths this year, the study suggests - but social distancing could reduce this number by around half.
If countries adopt further measures at an early stage - including testing, isolating cases and wider social distancing to prevent transmission to more people - 38.7 million lives could be saved.
But the study warns that developing countries are likely to suffer the worst effects of the outbreak.
Latest updates from around Europe
Germany has seen a rise of 5,780 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 42,288, according to the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases. The number of deaths has climbed by 55 to 253. Chancellor Angela Merkel has appealed for patience in fighting the outbreak, rejecting calls for a relaxation of restrictions that only came in in several states earlier this week.In France, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe says the epidemic that started in the east is now in the Paris region. Hospitals could reach saturation point around the capital within 24 to 48 hours, according to the Hospital Federation of France. Some 1.2 million residents in the area have left in the past week according to data analysed by mobile phone company Orange. On Thursday evening, officials said France had seen 1,696 deaths, including 365 in the past 24 hours.
Crimes in the deserted cities of Italy have plummeted by 64% in March, compared to the same period in 2019, but computer-based crime is rising, the interior ministry warns. That chimes with a new report from EU police agency Europol, which says criminals are focusing on fake sanitary goods , phone scams and cybercrime.
Elsewhere:
- After six hours of talks last night, EU leaders agreed to give eurozone finance ministers two weeks to agree a stronger response to the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus. The BBC's Europe Editor Katya Adler assesses the EU's response here
- Russia has now recorded 1,000 confirmed cases and three deaths. It has ordered all cafes and restaurants to close from Saturday and next week has been designated a "non-working week"
- Switzerland has seen 194 deaths since the pandemic began with around 1,000 new cases in 24 hours, according to data collated from the country's cantons In Spain, some 9,000 rapid diagnostic tests imported from China have proved defective
Friday prayers to go ahead as normal in most of Pakistan
M Ilyas KhanBBC News, Islamabad
The Pakistani government is still reluctant to annoy the religious lobby by ordering a blanket ban on congregational prayers in mosques - even though such congregations have been banned in several Islamic countries amid the coronavirus outbreak.
On Thursday, it indicated it may "restrict" mosque congregations, but stopped short of spelling out details.
However, the provincial government in Sindh, which has recorded the most cases in the country, has taken the lead by ordering that only up to five people - the prayer leader and mosque staff - could offer joint prayers in a mosque.
The restrictions came ahead of Friday congregational prayers which are usually attended by large crowds. They'll be in force until 5 April.
Hours later, the government of another province, Balochistan, ordered similar limits on joint prayers until 4 April.
The indecision of the federal government, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, appears to stem from its reluctance to annoy influential professional clerics at a time of the year when they raise donations to run their activities.
The present Islamic month, Shaban, and the one to follow, Ramadan, are the time for the faithful to pay Zakat, or an annual Islamic tax. Much of this money finds its way into more than 35,000 religious seminaries run by these clerics across the country.
The mainstream Hanafi sect runs the bulk of these seminaries, and has been the most vocal in opposing restrictions on religious gatherings.
Firefighters to drive ambulances in virus outbreak
Firefighters in the UK are planning to drive ambulances, deliver medicines and transport bodies during the "humanitarian crisis" of the coronavirus outbreak.Even though emergency services are already under pressure, "we can and will get through it together," Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
A new agreement between fire service organisations will allow firefighters to take on extra duties to support other services, driving emergency vehicles or delivering supplies to vulnerable people.
"Many fear the loss of life in this outbreak could be overwhelming - and firefighters, who often handle terrible situations and incidents, are ready to step in to assist with body retrieval," Mr Wrack said.
"Firefighters and control staff have always stepped in when the public has been in danger and this crisis is no different."
The deal, which lasts for two months but could be extended, comes as the Metropolitan Police calls for retired officers to rejoin during the crisis
Can the EU's leaders get a grip on the crisis?
After six hours of talks, EU leaders - by socially distant video conference - failed on Thursday to agree to share the debt they are all racking up fighting Covid-19, with finance ministers instead reporting back in two weeks' time.The EU is famous for kicking difficult decisions down the road but in coronavirus terms, with spiralling infection and death rates, two weeks feels like an eternity.
Spain and Italy - ravaged by the effects of the virus on their populations and their limited public finances - were deeply disappointed.
Italy was already one of the EU's most Eurosceptic member states before Covid-19 hit. Italian Twitter was littered with expletives on Thursday - and those were just the posts from politicians.
President Emmanuel Macron of France is said to have told leaders the political reaction after the crisis could spell the end of the EU.
The thing is, the coronavirus simply highlights already existing, well-known difficulties in the EU.
Read the full analysis from Katya here.
House all rough sleepers by the weekend, English councils told
Every local authority in England has been told by the government to house all of its rough sleepers - as well as people in hostels and night shelters - by the weekend.A letter from Dame Louise Casey, Boris Johnson's housing adviser, tells councils to redouble efforts to ensure everyone is "inside and safe by this weekend" due to the "public health emergency".
She says: “These are unusual times so I’m asking for an unusual effort. Many areas of the country have already been able to ’safe harbour’ their people which is incredible. What we need to do now though is work out how we can get ‘everyone in’.”
It is important to close down street encampments as they are "high-risk" for spreading coronavirus, Dame Louise says.
In a trial last weekend, rough sleepers were put up in about 300 hotel rooms in London .
Homeless charity Crisis says the move is a "landmark moment" but questions remain about what support local councils will receive to achieve this.
"The Government has committed to ending rough sleeping by 2025 - this proves it can be done in 2020 if we make it the priority it deserves to be," says chief executive Jon Sparkes.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has not yet commented.
As we mentioned earlier (19.25 entry) US President Donald Trump attacked General Motors in a tweet for not producing new ventilators.
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