- The number of infections stands at 90,900 globally, with over 3,000 deaths

- China has reported a slowdown in the number of cases

- WHO says outbreaks in South Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan are its greatest concern

- In Germany, 188 people have contracted the virus

All updates in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC/GMT).

Read more: What you need to know about the coronavirus

23:55 We are now closing Tuesday's live updates on Coronavirus. Please check DW.com for further updates.

22:40 Amid concerns over infection rates, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have canceled in-person events for their upcoming Spring Meeting in April.

"Like everyone else around the world, we have been deeply concerned by the evolving situation of the coronavirus and the human tragedy surrounding it," IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and World Bank Group President David Malpass said in a joint statement.

21:56 The World Bank announced an initial $12 billion (€10.7 billion) of immediate funds to assist countries grappling with the health and economic impacts of coronavirus.

21:11 Ireland has confirmed its second case. "Today we are confirming that Ireland has diagnosed one new case of COVID-19. The case arises in a female in the east of the country and is associated with travel from Northern Italy," Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer with the Department of Health, said.

On Monday, Holohan tweeted, stressing the importance of coronavirus patient confidentiality.

20:45 The Indian navy said it was calling off a multinational exercise because of the virus. The MILAN 2020 exercise "has been postponed, taking into consideration the safety of all participants and travel restrictions imposed by the spread of COVID-19," the Indian navy said in a statement. The navy said the exercise will be rescheduled for a more convenient date.

Warships and navy personnel from in excess of 40 countries had been invited to take part in the event, according to Indian media.

The occasion was scheduled to begin on March 18, lasting for 11 days, off the coast of Visakhapatnam, a port city in Andhra Pradesh.

20:28 An update on the post from 13:44 today is that the lawmaker from the state of Thuringia, Germany, has tested negative for the coronavirus, meaning Wednesday's regional elections will probably go ahead as planned.

The politician, a member of Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, had been in quarantine since going on a skiing holiday in Italy with a 57-year-old man from Thuringia who was found to have been infected. The lawmaker will now be released from the confinement.

The Bayreuth Festival canceled All quiet on the Wagnerian front An older audience packed in close quarters in a sweltering theater: for virus transmission, a horrific scenario. The Bayreuth Festival 2020 has been called off, for the first time in its 144-year history due to an epidemic. Rehearsals for the new production of the opera cycle "The Ring of the Nibelung" were to begin on April 1 - but now, the "Ring" can only premiere in 2022 at the earliest.

The Bayreuth Festival canceled Berlin's major events A day after Berlin announced that performances in major state-owned venues were to be canceled until April 19, city authorities have banned all events with more than 1,000 participants as well. "The coronavirus continues to spread. In such a phase, public life must be restricted," Berlin's local Health Minister Dilek Kalayci said.

The Bayreuth Festival canceled Madonna and other concerts Many major concerts have been canceled, including Madonna's last two dates of her "Madame X" tour in Paris. France has banned on Sunday public gatherings of more than 1,000 people. The Paris Opera has also canceled its performances.

The Bayreuth Festival canceled St. Patrick's Day in Ireland All Irish St. Patrick's Day parades, including Dublin's main celebration that draws around 500,000 revelers from all over the world each year, are canceled because of fears over the spread of COVID-19, state broadcaster RTE reported on Monday. Ireland's famous March 17 parades were also previously canceled in 2001 during an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

The Bayreuth Festival canceled Vatican museums With quarantine measures in place in northern Italy, soccer matches occurring without spectators, and Italian Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte's order to close museums, theaters and cinemas, it should come as no surprise that the Vatican has closed the doors to its museums, including the Sistine Chapel (above), until probably April 3. In the Vatican itself, five people are currently in quarantine.

The Bayreuth Festival canceled South by Southwest (SXSW) This annual music, film and tech festival held in Austin, Texas, usually attracts more than 400,000 visitors. But less than a week before its March 12, 2020 start date, organizers decided to cancel in a bid to prevent the spreading of the coronavirus. There's a silver lining though: it may only be postponed and not canceled altogether.

The Bayreuth Festival canceled Bollywood 'Oscars' The International Film Academy has announced that it would be postponing its awards ceremony, also known as Bollywood's Oscars, due to fears over the coronavirus outbreak. According to official numbers, India has been until now relatively unscathed by the epidemic. Actor Shah Rukh Khan (photo) was one the stars expected at the event planned for March 27; a new date has not been decided yet.

The Bayreuth Festival canceled 'No Time to Die' James Bond perhaps has a little more time on his hands than the title of the upcoming film in the franchise suggests: "No Time to Die" producers have decided to push back the release of the movie to November. Daniel Craig's last outing as 007 was initially planned for April. It's the first Hollywood blockbuster to shift its release schedule in reaction to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Bayreuth Festival canceled Venice Architecture Biennale The start of the world's most prestigious architecture biennale has also been delayed. Instead of opening in May, it will run from August 29 to November 29 — three months later than planned. The theme of the event takes on a new meaning amid current developments: "How do we live together?"

The Bayreuth Festival canceled London Book Fair Due to take place March 10-12, the book fair was canceled "with reluctance," said organizers, after several major publishers such as HarperCollins and Penguin Random House pulled out of the event to avoid exposing their staff to the virus. The London Book Fair usually draws more than 25,000 authors and book industry insiders.

The Bayreuth Festival canceled Musikmesse Frankfurt Europe's biggest trade fair for the music industry also announced that it was postponing the event, which was set to celebrate its 40th anniversary on April 2-4. While it was deemed to be "the only responsible and right decision to take," the cancellation is bound to affect many small businesses in the music industry, said Christian Höppner, secretary general of the German Music Council.

The Bayreuth Festival canceled Leipzig Book Fair Change of plans for book fans: The Leipzig Book Fair, scheduled to be held March 12-15, was canceled due to the spread of the new coronavirus, a spokesperson for the fair announced on March 3. The second-largest book fair in Germany expected to draw 2,500 exhibitors from 51 countries.

The Bayreuth Festival canceled ITB Travel Trade Show Berlin Preparations for the world's largest travel fair were already in full swing when the organizers canceled it at the last minute. Due to the ongoing virus threat, participants to the Berlin fair had to prove they had not been to one of the defined risk areas. With 170,000 visitors from all over the world, this proved to be an impossible task and the fair couldn't open on March 4 as planned.

The Bayreuth Festival canceled Milan Design Week Each April, thousands of design professionals, artists and companies visit Milan to check out the latest in furniture and interior design. This year, however, organizers have announced it will be moved to June due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Milan is the capital of the Lombardy region, which has seen the lion's share of Italian coronivirus cases. Some airlines have even suspended their flights.

The Bayreuth Festival canceled La Scala opera house There is perhaps no venue more symbolic of Italy's rich operatic tradition than the La Scala opera house in Milan. Now, its seats will remain empty until March 8. Italy's Prime Minister called for the suspension of cultural events and the venue is sticking to the rules. At the time of writing, Italy has more cases of the new coronavirus than any country outside of Asia.

The Bayreuth Festival canceled K-pop concerts The reigning K-pop boy band BTS does big business with each concert, but in the wake of the virus in South Korea, the group canceled four April dates at the Seoul Olympic Stadium, which seats 69,950 people. "It's impossible to predict the scale of the outbreak," said the group's management. On Tuesday, cases in South Korea reached 5,100 with the majority of infections in the city of Daegu.

The Bayreuth Festival canceled 'Mission Impossible' No, we aren't describing the task of containing the new coronavirus, but rather the new movie starring Tom Cruise which was supposed to have a three-week shoot in Venice. The film has been postponed, movie studio Paramount Pictures said Monday. Venice's cultural events have been hard hit by the outbreak. The final two days of lagoon city's annual Carnival festival were also canceled.

The Bayreuth Festival canceled Concerts in Switzerland On February 28, the Swiss government imposed a ban on events of more than 1,000 people until March 15, making it the first European country to do so as a preemptive measure to fight against the spread of the illness. As a result, many concerts and events were called off, including concerts by Carlos Santana (pictured) and Alice Cooper at the 15,000-person Hellenstadion in Zürich.

The Bayreuth Festival canceled The Hamburg Ballet The Hamburg Ballet John Neumeier canceled guest performances in Macau and Singapore due to the coronavirus outbreak. On the program were "The Lady of the Camellias," which tells the story of a famous Parisian courtesan and "Nijinsky." Whether the tour will take place at another point in time is still in the air. In spring 2021 the Hamburg Ballet plans to tour in Japan. Author: Sarah Hucal



20:08 Argentina's Health Minister Gines Gonzalez Garcia has said the country has its first coronavirus case.

20:03 Washington state health officials have confirmed the total number of coronavirus-related deaths to be 9.

19:50 Algeria has revealed three new infections, bringing the total number of people who have the virus to eight, the health ministry confirmed in a statement. Seven of the eight cases are from the same family.

19:19 Spain has confirmed its first death from the virus, a Valencian official confirmed.

19:05 Germany is "doing everything to ensure that the virus will not impact the German economy on a broad scale," Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said. "We're prepared and determined to avoid a possible crisis and secure employment and domestic production."

18:49 France now has 212 infections, the head of the country's public health service has confirmed.

18:35 From this coming Sunday all schools and higher educational institutions in United Arab Emirates will be closed to avoid spreading the coronavirus.

18:02 India has said it can no longer export 26 pharmaceutical ingredients, including Paracetamol and numerous vitamin B compounds, due to the coronavirus outbreak which will disrupt global supply chains. The move amounts to 10% of the country's drug exports. Indian pharma companies get almost 70% of their active ingredients from China, the country where the outbreak erupted more than two months ago.

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17:54 Porsche CEO Oliver Blume told DW that the outbreak poses "a big challenge for the world." Blume praised Germany's reaction to the virus, while admitting the car manufacturer was "worried worried about" the effects of the virus. He added: "Talking concretely about Porsche, we closed dealerships in February in China and lost the majority of our sales."

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17:35 Pope Francis has tested negative for the coronavirus, an Italian newspaper has reported. The pope is suffering from a cold and recently canceled all public meetings until further notice.

17:15 Italy, the hub of Europe's outbreak, has announced the death toll has risen to 79. That's a jump of 27 deaths in the last 24 hours.

17:05 The World Health Organization's (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has been speaking about "rapidly depleting" supplies to help protect health workers and volunteers. The WHO chief told reporters: "We cannot stop Covid-19 without protecting our health workers."

Tedros also spoke about the soaring prices of equipment, stating surgical masks had increased six-fold, tripled for respirators and more than doubled for medical gowns.

16:51 Spain's health minister has recommended next week's Champions League tie between Valencia and Atalanta, due to be held in the Spanish city, be played behind closed doors.

Meanwhile, Japan's Olympic minister has suggested the Tokyo Games, due to start on July 24, could be postponed in response to the outbreak. Seiko Hashimoto told parliament: "The IOC has the right to cancel the games only if they are not held during 2020. This can be interpreted to mean the games can be postponed as long as they are held during the calendar year."

Watch video 02:06 Share IOC set to discuss coronavirus Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3Ynrz IOC set to discuss coronavirus and Tokyo Olympics

16:30 Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said its emergency interest rate cut will give a "meaningful boost to the economy." The Fed reacted to the epidemic by lowering its key interest rate by a half point to a range of 1.0-1.25.

However, the central bank's chair recognized "a rate cut will not reduce the rate of infection, it won't fix a broken supply chain."

15:33 French authorities will requisition all face mask stocks and production in the coming months, President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter. "We will distribute them to health professionals and to French people infected with the coronavirus," the French president posted.

Panic-buying among French citizens has led to some stores and online retailers running out of masks and others to hike prices.

15:24 Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has placed the armed forces on alert to assist health officials in the Islamic Republic. The supreme leader announced the decision after state media showed footage of the 80-year-old planting a tree wearing disposable gloves, ahead of Iran's "National Tree Planting Day."

Khamenei concluded: "Whatever helps public health and prevents the spread of the disease is good and what helps to spread it is sin."

The official alert came as Iranian media reported that 23 members of parliament now had the virus. This was confirmed by the chief of the country's emergency services.

15:08 Here are the latest updates on how the virus is affecting the sporting world: Coronavirus: Updates from the world of sports

Coronavirus' top winners: From Netflix to Tesla In top gear Tesla has emerged as the most valuable automaker amid the pandemic, eclipsing Toyota and Volkswagen, despite selling only a fraction of cars sold by the traditional behemoths. Tesla shares rose more than 100% in the second quarter during which the carmaker's sales topped estimates thanks to a rapid ramp-up in production at its Shanghai plant, which remained largely unaffected by the pandemic.

Coronavirus' top winners: From Netflix to Tesla Netflix and chill Netflix has added more than 25 million subscribers in the first six months of the year as lockdowns forced people to stay homebound. The streaming platform has gained $70 billion (€61 billion) in market capitalization this year, making it more valuable than media giants such as Walt Disney, AT&T, the parent of HBO, and Comcast, owner of NBC and Universal Studios.

Coronavirus' top winners: From Netflix to Tesla Ditch your gym The fitness startup Peloton, which makes exercise bikes and also offers online fitness classes, saw its sales jump 66% in its third quarter as stay-at-home orders and coronavirus fears prompted many fitness enthusiasts to ditch their gyms and opt for the company's offerings. In April, Peloton held its largest class ever with more than 23,000 people attending it from home.

Coronavirus' top winners: From Netflix to Tesla Coronovirus billionaires Moderna Chief Executive Stephane Bancel (R) briefly became a billionaire after the company shipped an experimental coronavirus vaccine for clinical testing in humans, boosting its share price, Bloomberg reported. Malaysia's Lim Wee Chai (L), who owns a majority stake in medical gloves maker Top Glove, also entered the billionaire's club amid the outbreak.

Coronavirus' top winners: From Netflix to Tesla Stay home, stay connected Few companies have been so talked about during the past few months as teleconferencing firm Zoom. At its peak, the company attracted more than 300 million participants on some days in April, up from 10 million in December, despite some PR troubles around privacy and security issues. The company's market cap has zoomed past $70 billion, up from around $16 billion at the time of its IPO last year.

Coronavirus' top winners: From Netflix to Tesla Gaming gains Gaming provided a perfect escape for millions stuck at home. Online games such as Call of Duty attracted tens of millions of players. The latest game, Nintendo's popular Animal Crossing franchise, sold more than 13 million units within six weeks of its launch in March. Nintendo's Switch and other consoles such as Xbox and PlayStation have seen demand soar over the past few months.

Coronavirus' top winners: From Netflix to Tesla Streaming to glory The Swedish music streaming firm saw its paid subscribers base surge to 130 million in the first quarter amid coronavirus lockdowns. The company saw usage on video game consoles such as Xbox and PlayStation soar during the period. Spotify's US-listed shares are among the top performers so far this year.

Coronavirus' top winners: From Netflix to Tesla Stay-at-home stocks The pandemic has boosted stay-at-home stocks such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook — companies whose offerings facilitate online communication, remote working and transactions. These companies have been the main drivers of US indices over the past few months. Companies like Paypal and cloud-computing firm Twilio have also surged in the past months.

Coronavirus' top winners: From Netflix to Tesla Empty shelves Retailers such as Germany's Rewe and France's Carrefour saw food items fly off their shelves during the initial days of the pandemic as panicking shoppers stock up their pantries. The rush at the supermarkets prompted investors to lap up shares of packaged food companies. Online retailers like Amazon are also seeing strong demand as virus-spooked shoppers avoid brick-and-mortar stores.

Coronavirus' top winners: From Netflix to Tesla Safety first Makers of face masks, hand sanitizers and sanitary wipes are witnessing a huge surge in demand as shoppers around the world seek ways to protect themselves against the rapidly spreading virus. 3M Corp, which makes face masks among other things, is one of the biggest beneficiaries. Author: Ashutosh Pandey



14:59 The financial world fears a repeat of the 2008 crisis and the WHO warns of being in "uncharted territory."

13:51 One day before a vote to elect the next premier of Thuringia, a CDU member for the eastern German state's parliament has been quarantined. A spokesperson from the state health ministry said the MP spent the winter holidays skiing in Italy with a 57-year-old man who became infected with the virus. The results of a test are expected to be available later Tuesday.

The ministry spokesman said it was unclear how a positive result would affect the election on Wednesday.

Bodo Ramelow of the socialist Left party is expected to win the poll with support from the Social Democrats and the Greens. The CDU has agreed to abstain in the vote in exchange for an arrangement for early elections next year.

13:44 Officials say a German cruise ship carrying 1,200 people is waiting off the coast of Norway while two German passengers undergo testing on land for the coronavirus. The results are expected later today.

The two individuals aboard the Aida Aura had apparently been in contact with a third person a week ago who had tested positive for the virus.

"The guests were contacted by health authorities in Germany as part of a routine investigation into a medical situation. All guests on board have already been informed about this. All passengers remain on board, visits on land aren't taking place,'' the cruise company said in a statement.

13:26 German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) has said on Twitter that G7 ministers agreed to monitor the outbreak very closely.

"Should the need arise, we have all the means to counter a global downturn," Scholz added.

13:17 Finance officials from the Group of Seven countries have pledged to take all possible steps to protect the global economy from the coronavirus outbreak. Central bank governors and finance ministers from the group of major economies, known as the G7, held a meeting via conference call on Tuesday.

"Given the potential impacts of COVID-19 on global growth, we reaffirm our commitment to use all appropriate policy tools to achieve strong, sustainable growth and safeguard against downside risks,'' a joint statement from the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada said.

Read more: Will COVID-19 exacerbate drugs shortage in Germany?

Watch video 01:54 Share Coronavirus surges in South Korea Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3YnmH 850 new coronavirus cases in South Korea in one day



13:03 The head of Iran's emergency medical services has been infected with coronavirus, according to the semiofficial ILNA news agency.

ILNA cited a statement from the body saying that Pirhossein Kolivand's "health is good and there is no need for concern."

Iran's Health Ministry says 77 people have died from the virus there — the highest number outside of China. More than 2330 people have been infected.

12:37 German politicians are urging Chancellor Angela Merkel's government to take steps to safeguard the economy from virus-related shocks. In an interview with the German press agency dpa, the leader of the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) called for an "anti-crisis package," including fiscal measures to encourage investment.

"The protection of the population comes first. But we must also react to the possible economic consequences," FDP head Christian Lindner said.

His comments were echoed by Markus Söder, the leader of the Christian Social Union — the Bavarian sister party of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU).

"We now have to think about stimulus packages," Söder told the Münchner Merkur newspaper on Tuesday. "This should include significantly lower energy prices and corporate taxes, but also investments."

Handshakes and kisses in a time of coronavirus Handshake It's one of the most widespread greetings in the business world. But will the traditional handshake go out of style? Health experts recommend avoiding it to reduce the risk of contracting the coronarvirus. Germany's interior minister took that advice seriously and refused to shake Chancellor Angela Merkel's hand. They both laughed and Merkel threw her hand up in the air before taking a seat.

Handshakes and kisses in a time of coronavirus Double-cheek kiss France's government has advised its citizens to cut back on the traditional "bise" — greeting by kissing others on both cheeks. But French President Emmanuel Macron nevertheless gave the double-kiss greeting to Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte during a summit in Naples this week, symbolically demonstrating that he didn't fear contact with the neighboring country affected by a coronavirus surge.

Handshakes and kisses in a time of coronavirus High five It's a gesture that was first popularized by baseball and basketball players in the US. About 50% fewer bacteria are transferred by high-fiving than by shaking hands — meaning that it's still not completely risk-free.

Handshakes and kisses in a time of coronavirus Fist bump Commonly used in sports, the greeting was also popularized by former US President Obama, shown here with Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. Beyond the coolness factor, the fist bump transmits significantly fewer germs than shaking hands — about 90% less according to one study.

Handshakes and kisses in a time of coronavirus Hugs Hugging is another way to spread germs, but research has also shown that the warm embrace of a loved one may strengthen the immune system — and in some cases, it can boost diplomatic ties. This hug between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in 2018 triggered various reactions on both sides of the border. They had previously opted for the more formal handshake.

Handshakes and kisses in a time of coronavirus Shoulder pat Australia's New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard recommends this gesture: "It's time that Aussies actually gave each other a pat on the back for the time being — no handshaking," he said. While it transmits less bacteria than the previously mentioned forms of greetings, the pat on the back can be perceived as condescending by some people.

Handshakes and kisses in a time of coronavirus Wave Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip wave here from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The original gesture derived from a 18th-century tradition of knights saluting each other after removing the guard of their helmets to reveal their identity and show that they were coming in peace. Waving can, however, be seen as offensive in some countries.

Handshakes and kisses in a time of coronavirus Fist and palm salute In China, where the COVID-19 outbreak began, one greeting recommendation is the traditional gong shou gesture, or the fist and palm salute, as demonstrated above by actress Miya Muqi at the Cannes screening of "Ash Is The Purest White" in 2018.

Handshakes and kisses in a time of coronavirus Thai wai A slight bow with palms pressed together in a prayer-like position: The Thai wai greeting is widespread in various southeast Asian countries — also known as the Indian namaste or the Burmese mingalar par.

Handshakes and kisses in a time of coronavirus Japanese bow Similarly safe, Japan's traditional sign of salutation and reverence still belongs to everyday life. Learning to bow elegantly is an important part of becoming a respectable adult. Here, employees of a department store in Tokyo practice their greeting ahead of the start of a New Year sale.

Handshakes and kisses in a time of coronavirus Footshake A recent viral video from China shows yet another alternative to the handshake: the "footshake," also dubbed the "Wuhan handshake." Rubbing dirty feet is still safer than touching hands...

Handshakes and kisses in a time of coronavirus Smile Probably the easiest way to greet someone without sharing germs and making a faux pas is to look the other person in the eyes, smile and say hello. Author: Elizabeth Grenier



12:33 Saudi Arabia is telling citizens and residents to postpone any nonessential travel to Germany and France due to the spread of the coronavirus in those European countries. The kingdom confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on Monday, along with Andorra, the Czech Republic, Indonesia, Jordan, Latvia, Portugal, Tunisia and Senegal.

Read more: How long is the coronavirus incubation period?

12:24 France has closed about 120 schools in the north of the country, affecting around 35,000 students. Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said more could be shuttered in the coming days.

France has reported 191 cases of the virus and and three deaths.

12:17 Ukraine has reported its first coronavirus case. Health officials there say a man who recently arrived from Italy had COVID-19 symptoms.

Read more: How coronavirus is affecting the world of sports

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11:54 The Leipzig Book Fair in eastern Germany is being canceled due to the virus outbreak, according to a spokesperson.

The event is the second-largest of its kind in Germany, and was scheduled to take place from March 12-15 with a focus on works from southeastern Europe. It had been expected to draw 2,500 exhibitors from 51 countries, as well as thousands of visitors.

11:15 The European Union has activated its crisis response mechanism to allow for faster decision making in coordinating a response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The European Council, which represents member states, said the process, known as "Integrated Political Crisis Response," would allow the EU to focus on "important gaps" and also involve neighboring countries such as Britain or Switzerland.

10:37 England's chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, has told a press conference that it's unlikely Britain would lock down any cities to prevent coronavirus from spreading, but he added that the government would keep its options open.

"Locking down a city is most useful when it is starting in one place with a high transmission in that place and nowhere else," Whitty said. "It seems unlikely we will be in that situation in the medium to long term future."

10:32 The British government has announced a "battle plan" to deal with the spread of the coronavirus. The measures outlined in the plan include possible school closures and allowing employees to work from home.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was "highly likely" the number of virus cases would rise from the current tally of 39, and warned that as many as one-fifth of employees could be sick and absent from their workplaces during "peak weeks" of the outbreak.

10:15 Read how things unfolded on Monday here.

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ed, jsi, nm/msh (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)