14:50

In Germany, where 1,153 cases of coronavirus had been confirmed by 2pm local time, the health minister, Jens Spahn, has appealed to citizens to travel as little as they can, to work from home when possible, and to contact doctors by telephone in cases where the virus is suspected.

In a press conference held this afternoon with a leading virologist from Charité University teaching hospital in Berlin, as well as the director of the Robert Koch Institute, the leading body on public health, Spahn advised people to avoid public transport and to “go by bike or foot” where possible, adding that the main goal was to slow the spread of the virus to avoid overburdening the health service, which has a total of 28,000 emergency beds.

“The longer we can slow down the development of the virus, the better,” he said, adding that the restrictions people would face to their daily lives “will last for months rather than weeks”.

He urged people to act just as they would if they wanted to avoid catching the flu or a cold. “Every individual should weigh up and decide what it is easier to avoid, and what is harder,” he said, adding that going to work was more important than going to a football match.

Jens Spahn and other panel members address the media. Photograph: Alexander Becher/EPA

He said he was not in favour of shutting schools and kindergartens, because that would leave tens of thousands of medical staff unable to go to work, which would have a hugely detrimental effect on the health system. He said organisers of large events had so far been too hesitant to cancel them.

Yesterday he followed France’s example, by recommending the cancellation of all gatherings of 1,000 people or more, although because of Germany’s federal system he could not enforce the recommendation, but could only hope that regional authorities would implement it.

There are plans in place for Bundesliga games to take place in empty stadiums, so-called ghost matches.