(Reuters) - A second European hotel was in lockdown on Wednesday as authorities around the world battled to prevent the spread of coronavirus, although a senior U.S. health official said a pandemic was inevitable and urged Americans to prepare.

- Mainland China had 406 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections on Tuesday, down from 508 cases a day earlier.

- The death toll from the outbreak in mainland China had reached 2,715 as of Tuesday, up by 52 from the previous day. All the new deaths were in Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak, which also reported 401 new cases on Feb. 25, down from 499 a day earlier.

- Italy has become a frontline in the global outbreak of the virus, with over 370 cases and 12 deaths.

- Brazil on Wednesday confirmed the first case in Latin America, a man in Sao Paulo who returned recently from Italy.

- The German government sees no need to advise its citizens against travel to Italy, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.

- Two Germans tested positive for coronavirus, taking the total to 18.

- Hundreds of guests who have been locked down in a hotel on the Spanish island of Tenerife following an outbreak of coronavirus will remain in isolation for 14 days.

- A second person died in France overnight as health officials tried to find out how the college teacher, who had not visited any country with a known outbreak, had caught the new disease.

- Algeria and Greece reported their first cases on Wednesday.

- Austria quarantined 12 people who were in close contact with the country’s first coronavirus cases.

A man wearing face mask jogs near the National Centre for the Performing Arts, following an outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the country, in Beijing, China February 22, 2020. REUTERS/Stringer NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.

- Nineteen people have died and 139 people have been infected by coronavirus in Iran, health ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.

- Kuwait’s coronavirus cases rose to 25 after 13 more cases were confirmed.

- Bahrain’s number infections rose to 26 on Wednesday.

- The United Arab Emirates, which has 13 reported cases, is prepared for “worst case scenarios” as the new coronavirus spreads in the Middle East.

- South Korea’s total tally rose above 1,260 on Wednesday, including the first U.S. soldier to be infected.

- Thailand reported three new cases on Wednesday, taking its total tally to 40.

- China has quarantined 257 passengers from two flights from South Korea, Chinese state media reported on Wednesday.

- The Philippines and Vietnam barred entry for travelers some coronavirus-hit areas of South Korea.

- China’s embassy in Russia has demanded authorities in Moscow end what it said are discriminatory measures against Chinese nationals.

- Russia suspended some flights to South Korea from March 1 and said it would stop issuing visas to some Iranian citizens from Feb. 28.

- El Salvador will bar the entry of foreign nationals arriving from Italy and South Korea.

- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday called for sports and cultural events to be scrapped or curtailed for two weeks.

- China’s local governments are ramping up surveillance to better trace residents’ moves in public areas.

- Five Chinese provinces have cut their emergency response levels.

- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the immediate risk in the United States was low, but the current global situation suggested a pandemic was likely.

- Japan’s health ministry on Wednesday defended its cautious approach to coronavirus testing as domestic cases increased to 175.

- Tokyo Olympics officials are considering scaling down the torch relay due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.

- UEFA said Inter Milan’s Europa League match at home to Ludogorets Razgrad will be played behind closed doors on Thursday, while other UEFA games were unaffected.

- Italy and other euro zone countries hit by the coronavirus outbreak are expected to benefit from waivers under EU fiscal rules that will allow them to spend more to tackle the emergency.

- Hong Kong earmarked HK$120 billion ($15 billion) in its annual budget on Wednesday to bolster an economy grappling with the virus and months of anti-government protests.

- World stocks tumbled for the fifth day on fears of prolonged disruption to global supply chains, while safe-haven gold rose back towards seven-year highs.