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- A further six people with coronavirus in Scotland have died, taking the total number of deaths there to 22.There have also been five more deaths in Wales, raising the toll there to 22, and a further two in Northern Ireland - which has now recorded seven deaths in total.The figures for England, and the UK as a whole, will be released later. On Tuesday, the number of deaths in the UK stood at 433.
- The public will soon be able to conduct coronavirus antibody tests at home, the director of the national infection service at Public Health England says.Prof Sharon Peacock told the science and technology MPs' committee that 3.5 million tests had been bought and would be available in the "near future".She said the tests would allow key workers, such as doctors and nurses, to return to work if they have developed antibodies."Once we are assured that they do work, they will be rolled out into the community. Testing the test is a small matter, and I anticipate that it will be done by the end of this week," Prof Peacock said."In the near future, people will be able to order a test that they can test themselves, or go to Boots, or somewhere similar to have their finger prick test done."Asked if tests would be available in days, rather than weeks or months, she added: "Absolutely."Antibodies are produced by the body to fight off infection, and tests could indicate whether someone has had the disease in the past.These tests could also help work out how widespread the disease has been.
- India’s decision to enforce a lockdown on its 1.3 billion people means that at least a quarter of the world’s population of 7.8 billion is now living under tough restrictions on movement and social contact.From Rwanda to California and New York to New Zealand, the coronavirus has shut down large parts of our planet – leaving normally heaving streets deserted and towering office blocks empty.And there’s more to come – about half the US population are believed to be living under stay at home orders and measures are expected in further states. From midnight on Thursday, all South Africans will have to stay at home for a 21-day period.Over the last few weeks, you will have kept hearing that the coronavirus crisis has changed the world. The fact that so many of you reading this will be doing so from home, because you’ve been told to stay inside, is perhaps the starkest illustration of how this has affected all of us.
- More news on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to postpone a vote on constitutional amendments that would allow him to stay in power until 2036.In a televised address to the nation, Mr Putin - who has ruled the country since 2000 - announced that the public vote due on 22 April was now delayed until a "later date".He did not elaborate.Separately, the president said that Russians would not work next week in an effort "to slow the speed" of the new coronavirus.Russia has officially confirmed 658 cases, but no deaths.Mr Putin's critics have said the authorities may be underreporting the true scale of the outbreak.
- Read more here: Coronavirus delays Russian vote
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Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has sent her best wishes to Prince Charles, who tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland.She declined to comment on the specifics, when questioned on the fact that Prince Charles, 71, had tested positive at what some people have described as a second home - the prince is currently staying at Balmoral in Scotland.Ms Sturgeon repeated the advice she gave on Sunday - that she didn't want people to see the Highland and Islands as places where they can outrun the virus.She added that remote areas were under pressure at the best of times and she didn’t want health services in these areas to be put under additional pressure.Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood said she had discussed the situation with the team at NHS Grampian and, from the information she had been given, it was clear Prince Charles had been tested for clinical reasons.Separately, Prime Minister Boris Johnson wished Prince Charles a "speedy recovery", a Downing Street spokesman told reporters.- Dutch authorities have confirmed 80 more virus-related deaths in the country during the last 24 hours. They also confirmed 852 additional cases.This latest figures bring the total to 6,412 cases and 356 deaths in the country of 17 million.The Netherlands' health ministry stressed the actual number of infections will be higher because not everyone has been tested.A ban on public gatherings has been extended until 1 June to help fight the Netherlands' outbreak.
- As the US wakes up, here's a quick summary of the latest headlines from around the country:
- The White House and the Senate have agreed a huge stimulus package worth more than $1.8 trillion (£1.5tn) to help ease the economic impact of the virus
- While the full details of the deal aren't yet known, it reportedly includes payments of $1,200 to most American adults and aid to help small businesses pay their workers
- It also includes tax rebates, loans, money for hospitals and rescue packages
- The deal was announced shortly after President Trump said he hoped the US would shake off the coronavirus by Easter, but experts have sounded caution on that timeline
- New York state remains at the centre of the US crisis. Governor Andrew Cuomo has warned that the illness is spreading faster than "a bullet train" in the state
- And after 802 deaths and 55,225 confirmed infections, America is more than midway through a 15-day attempt to slow the spread of the virus through social distancing
- Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that it could become the new epicentre of the virus
- New measures have been brought in to stop non-essential London Underground journeys, as passengers posted pictures of crowded carriages again this morning.Queues are being introduced at ticket gates and some escalators are being turned off to slow the flow of passengers to platforms.British Transport Police is also deploying 500 officers to patrol the network and remind the public that they should only be making essential journeys for work. Read more here
- The Vietnamese government has launched a war-like media campaign to suppress the coronavirus outbreak - despite the fact that there has been no officially reported death in the 95-million nation.Top leaders like PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc are calling on the people to support “the Spring Offensive in a long war” against Covid-19.The language clearly reminds older citizens of the anti-American “Spring Offensive” in 1975 by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces, leading to the Communist victory in Saigon in April that year.This dramatic language is also a hint that the virus may have spread across Vietnam.Official confirmed cases have remained frozen at 113 for some time - but Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam said the country “must be ready to accept thousands of coronavirus patients” in the coming months.Vietnam has already stopped all foreign nationals from entering the country, and from 24 March even overseas Vietnamese cannot fly back home until further notice.
- In a briefing to staff this afternoon, BBC Director-General Tony Hall said that a planned modernisation of BBC News would be “paused”. This was due to contribute £40m of savings, toward an overall target of £80m.The DG said it would be inappropriate to pursue this target while BBC News was so stretched in covering the pandemic. As a result, around 450 planned redundancies will be delayed.While these savings will probably be implemented under Hall’s successor (he leaves at the end of the summer), the BBC is racking up a huge bill because of coronavirus. It has already said it will delay changes to free TV Licences for the over-75s by two months (at least) – and absorb that cost, which is coincidentally around £80m (at least).The next Director-General is going to inherit an even bigger financial black hole that she or he imagined. However, negotiations with a government that had threatened to “whack” the BBC may be made marginally easier if the BBC – like other public service broadcasters – can prove its worth through this crisis.
- During Prime Minister's Questions, Boris Johnson faced even more pressure to introduce measures to help self-employed people in the UK during this crisis.Well, the BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg says it is on its way.She says the chancellor will announce the new measures at the government's daily press conference on Thursday.But there is no detail yet on how the government plans to assist this section of the economy.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has said a vote on constitutional reform – which would allow him to stay in power for another two terms – will be postponed to a later date for health and safety reasons, due to the coronavirus crisis.
- Tennis star Roger Federer is the latest celebrity to donate money towards coronavirus causes.The 38-year-old, considered one of the greatest sportspeople of all time, and his wife Mirka, have donated 1m swiss francs (about £861,000) to “vulnerable families in Switzerland”.“Nobody should be left behind,” the 20-time Grand Slam winner wrote on Instagram. “Our contribution is just a start. We hope that others might join in supporting more families in need. Together we can overcome this crisis! Stay healthy!”Married actors Blake Lively and Ryan Reynonds previously gave $1m to US and Canadian foodbanks.Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation donated $5m to various charities to help with medical supplies, equipment and access to food.
- As the virus continues to spread across the continent, here are the latest updates from the region:
- Colombia begins a period of “mandatory preventive isolation” today meaning people all over the country will have to stay in their homes. Exceptions include medical appointments, shopping for essential goods like food, medicine and cleaning products, and going to the bank.
- Paraguay is the latest Latin American country to close its borders. The government announced on Tuesday that they would remain sealed until Sunday following a second death in the country from coronavirus.
- Mexico has called on businesses to stop employment that involves the movement of people from their homes to their workplaces. The country has entered the second stage of coronavirus transmission, meaning it has detected a case that has been passed from person to person locally, rather than coming from abroad.
- Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro has criticised the media for "fear-mongering" and has called on mayors and governors to roll back restrictions they have introduced to curb the spread. Mr Bolsonaro added that people aged over 60 were at risk, but most people - including himself - had nothing to fear. Over 2,200 cases of the virus have been reported in the country. The president has been accused of having a cavalier attitude to the pandemic.
- Prime Minister's Questions has come to an end and Leader of the House, Jacob Rees-Mogg, is making a business statement.He confirms what we expected - that the UK Parliament will finish for its Easter Break today, rather than on Tuesday 31 March as planned.Mr Rees-Mogg says the "aim" is for MPs to return to work on 21 April, but he will "keep the situation under review in terms of medical advice".
- We're bringing you all the major updates from around the world about the coronavirus. If you're just joining us, here are some of the key developments we've been covering over the past few hours:
- India, a country of some 1.3 billion people, is spending its first day in lockdown
- This means about a quarter of the world’s population is now living under some form of lockdown, including restrictions on gatherings and travel outside the home. How strongly this is enforced and policed varies across countries
- The UK's Prince Charles has tested positive for the coronavirus, displaying mild symptoms
- Also in the UK, some 250,000 people have signed up as National Health Service volunteers
- Spain has recorded its biggest daily increase in fatalities, bringing its total death toll to 3,434 - surpassing China and putting it second only to Italy
- Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has downplayed the threat of the coronavirus, calling on officials to roll back restrictions they have put in place to curb its spread
- In his final contribution to PMQs as the leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn tells the Commons the coronavirus crisis has shown "how deeply we depend on each other".He says the wealthiest businessman will depend on the cleaner keeping his office safe, adding: "We can only come through this as a huge collective effort. No one is an island, no one is self made."Mr Corbyn concludes: "At times like this, we have to recognise the value of each other and the strength of a society that cares for each other and cares for all."Boris Johnson says he wants to associate himself fully with the Labour leader's comments.He adds: "We are coming together as a nation like I haven't seen in a lifetime.... to help save the lives of many, many thousands of our citizens."We all understand that we will need to make a sacrifice, but we are gladly making that sacrifice."
- Royal doctors advise that Prince Charles would not have been contagious up until 13 March - a day after his last public engagement.They are working on presumably his symptoms, the date he has taken the test and their understanding of where he is now in the virus' path.We are waiting to see if there will be further statements or broadcasts from the Royal Family.Our understanding is that the Queen will speak to the nation - only extraordinary circumstances prompt that and this is exactly that circumstance.But the feeling is that the palace does not want any message from the Royal Family to get in the way of the more urgent messages from the government.Any broadcast will be fairly carefully timed.
- Jeremy Corbyn says he is "not asking for the entire UK economy to close down", but wants more resources to be given to support the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure people get the help they need.He calls for a rise in the weekly statutory sick pay of around £94, saying: "Unless we increase [sick pay] and give protection and access to benefits for those on zero-hour contracts, then there is a danger of those people going into work or trying to work when they shouldn't. We do need urgent action."Boris Johnson agrees it is a time for "serious action", and says there has been a "serious response to the crisis" from the government.Mr Corbyn also reiterates his plea for the government to remain open to scrutiny, even after Parliament closes.The PM says the government has tried to be "as open and transparent as we can" and he will work with the Speaker on how to keep MPs in the loop.
- Canada's multi-billion-dollar relief package to respond to the coronavirus slowdown has passed in the House of Commons.It allows the government to spend C$82bn ($57bn, £48bn) in emergency aid and economic stimulus.The bill received approval on Wednesday with support from all parties.It must now go to the Senate for approval.Legislators passed the package, worth about 3% of the country's GDP, after a debate that went into the early morning hours.
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