Coronavirus: Boris Johnson says 'we can turn tide in 12 weeks' as UK deaths and cases surge

Here's what you need to know:

• The Chancellor has unveiled a wage bailout to help struggling workers
• Boris Johnson said the UK can "turn the tide in the next 12 weeks" in the fight against the virus
• The Government published its Coronavirus Bill, setting out emergency powers
• A further 19 people, who tested positive for the coronavirus have died, bringing the total number in the UK to 137
• The Bank of England has cut its interest rates again to a record low of 0.1 per cent
• In Italy, 427 more people have died, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 3,405, which surpasses China's death toll
• The former EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier has announced he has tested positive for coronavirus
• The Queen has left London for Windsor as she tells the nation: “I am certain we are up to that challenge”

Follow the latest news in Friday's live blog

That's all from Telegraph London HQ tonight before we hand over to our overnight teams across the globe.

Before we go, we wanted to leave you with something a bit more upbeat to end another day of relentless coronavirus news.

Stay safe, stay home and stay up to date!

"Boris Johnson and his Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, promise to do “whatever it takes” to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic. The question being asked in markets is not of their intent, but whether they can afford it; can an economy already weakened by worries about impending divorce from Europe withstand the vast costs of the actions now deemed necessary to bring the virus under control?"

Read Jeremy Warner's full analysis here.

Spain has ordered all hotels in its territory to close to help stem the spread of coronavirus, under a new measure announced in the state official bulletin on Thursday.

The measure orders "the suspension of opening to the public of all hotels and similar lodgings, tourist accommodation and other short-term accommodation... situated on national territory," the official notice published in BOE read.

Spain is fourth-hardest hit country by Covid-19, with 767 deaths and 17,147 infections.

This just in from James Badcock in Madrid:

A couple of NHS doctors trapped in Spain have described their heartbreak at not being able to return home to help their colleagues deal with the growing Covid-19 crisis in Britain after their flight back was cancelled.

Dr Linda Mizum and her partner Adrian, also an NHS doctor, travelled to Spain to do some rock-climbing near Valencia, but for the past five days, under the national lockdown decreed by the Spanish government, they have been desperately trying to get a flight home. 

Dr Mizum, an emergency doctor from a hospital in Rotherham, describes the anguish of receiving messages from colleagues, including her father, who shares her specialism, as they battle a situation where equipment is becoming scarce and medics themselves falling ill and becoming exhausted.

“From what I am hearing, it is a very challenging situation. They say that some hospitals are running out of ventilators,” Dr Mizum told The Telegraph.

The NHS has put out a request for healthcare professionals of all specialisms to fight Covid-19 as the “pandemic has reached critical status”.

“I´m getting regular messages. We’ve never seen anything like it – suddenly we’re so in demand, like pop stars,” she said.

Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, has announced the government is currently in negotiations to purchase a new antibody test to detect if patients have had coronavirus.

Dr Alexander Edwards, Associate Professor in Biomedical Technology, University of Reading, said: 

“This is great to hear the intention to scale up testing using antibody “rapid tests”.  It is absolutely possible to make very large numbers of these rapid antibody tests because the factories needed to make such diagnostic tests can scale up production rapidly, using very sophisticated ‘printers’ onto rolls of special paper. 

"The limiting factor is time - firstly to make viral targets, and secondly to fully test them with real patient samples to be sure they give accurate data [...]

"We must allow our experts to check accuracy before we can use these, and our public health system working closely with industry is critical.

“These could make a big difference - in following spread, in helping NHS workers return to work safely following self-isolation, and also in testing the new vaccines being developed."

This just in from Ben Riley-Smith, US Editor:

Donald Trump has announced he is fast-tracking the use of drugs that could potentially help treat coronavirus, expressing hope that it could prove a “game-changer”. 

The US president said one drug called chloroquine, normally used to tackle malaria, and another called remdesivir will soon be available to some Americans.

Both drugs are already approved for other uses but are not known to work against Covid-19, a virus so new that treatments are yet to be discovered. 

“I think it's going to be very exciting,” Mr Trump said during a press briefing at the White House. “It could be a game-changer or maybe not.” 

Mr Trump said he had ordered the Food and Drug Administration [FDA] to “eliminate outdated rules and bureaucracy” so progress could “rapidly” be made. 

He said getting such drugs approved normally takes months but the process had been sped up, adding that states would distribute them and proscriptions would be needed. 

Dr Stephen Hahn, the FDA commissioner who stood next to Mr Trump during the briefing, offered a note of caution about the chance of a speedy breakthrough.

“What’s also important is not to provide false hope,” Dr Hahn said. “We may have the right drug, but it might not be in the appropriate dosage form right now, and it might do more harm than good.”

It is unclear when the drugs will be available or how widely they will be distributed. They are essentially at the testing stage. 

Mr Trump said some have been approved for “compassionate use”, typically used to give access to not-yet-approved drugs to patients who might otherwise die.

Netflix has said it will temporarily reduce the quality of videos on its platform to ease pressure on internet service providers during the coronavirus outbreak.

The platform, which is home to shows including Stranger Things and The Crown, will drop the video bit rate for 30 days, following calls from the EU's European Commissioner for internal market Thierry Breton.

Stuck on what to watch?  The 25 best stand-up comedy specials on Netflix UK to cheer you up in self-isolation

Panama will suspend all international passenger flights from 11:59 pm on Sunday for 30 days, to contain the spread of coronavirus, President Laurentino Cortizo has said.

MPs are to be given an extra £10,000 to cover additional office costs from remote working during the coronavirus outbreak, it has been reported.

They will also be able to claim expenses without proof of receipt. 

The extension to MPs expenses has been made by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA).

"IPSA’s Board met yesterday to discuss how we can support you and your staff during the UK’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. We have agreed a series of immediate measures that we hope will provide you with the resources and flexibility to concentrate on your parliamentary duties and support your staff at this time," IPSA told MPs.

The online grocer said it had to shut down the site this week to let software engineers retool it after a spike in orders almost caused it to crash.  

It is due to reopen on Sunday with restrictions on the number of items shoppers can order.

Read more from our retail correspondent, Laura Onita, here.

The death toll in Turkey due to the coronavirus rose to four, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said late on Thursday, adding there was a total of 359 confirmed cases in the country.

The number of confirmed cases was 191 on Wednesday. Koca said 1,981 tests had been conducted in the past 24 hours, 168 of which came back positive.

Life Kitchen, a cookery school for people living with cancer, has been forced to postpone their classes due the health risks posed to their students following the outbreak of Covid-19.

They have since set up a fund raiser in an effort to continue their classes online. To do so, they need to hire a camera crew and as a non-profit are unable to meet these costs alone.

Read more on the page below.

Londoners seem to finally be listening to advice and staying home tonight.

So far, there have been 953 cases of the virus confirmed in the capital, with as many cases recorded in Westminster as the whole of Northern Ireland.

A lockdown of London has been proposed as a way of preventing the virus from spreading.

But what does it mean?

Tony Diver has the full story here.

Morocco has declared a health emergency and will restrict movement across the country from 6 pm on Friday to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus, the interior ministry said.

Most people may leave their homes only to buy food or medicine, but critical staff for companies and workers in key sectors will be given papers to allow them to travel to and from work.

Colombia's migration chief, Juan Francisco Espinosa, has announced that 40 foreigners have been expelled from the country for failing to respect curfew rules.

"The foreigners - among them Britons, Israelis, Australians, Yemenis, Pakistanis, Haitians, Indians, Americans, Germans and Dutch - were expelled at the discretion of Colombian migration authorities, for risking through their actions national security, public order and public health," he said.

The foreigners were detained across the country, in cities including Bogota, Medellin, Cali and Cartagena.

All restaurants, bars and public spaces have been ordered shut across the country, and Colombians told to stay at home.

Earlier on Thursday, Colombia's president, Ivan Duque, announced that the country's borders were closing, and all flights into the country would be halted.

Not even Colombian citizens would be allowed to arrive or depart for 30 days, beginning on March 23 at midnight.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has spoken to his Irish counterpart to discuss their efforts in tackling the Covid-19 crisis.

"The Prime Minister spoke to the Irish Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, today about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic," a Downing Street spokesman said.

"He set out the UK's science-based approach and the measures the Government has already taken to stop the spread of the virus and protect the public.

"The leaders agreed on the importance of international co-ordination to support the global health response and minimise the economic impact on our citizens.

"They also resolved to continue working together to strengthen our bilateral relationship and to support the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont."

 Celebrities have taken to their social media feeds to share snippets of their daily life under self-isolation.

Mr Hancock admitted he could not live on statutory sick pay of £94.25 a week, bluntly saying "no" when asked.

He suggested more on the subject could come when Chancellor Rishi Sunak makes a further announcement on financial measures to tackle the crisis on Friday.

"I'm not going to prejudge what the Chancellor's going to say tomorrow, but all I can say is: mark my words, we will do everything we can to make sure people are supported through this," he said, while appearing Question Time.

This just in from Harriet Alexander, in New York:

The 73-year-old matriarch of a large New Jersey horse racing family died on Wednesday night, unaware that her two eldest children had died shortly before her.

Grace Fusco - mother of 11, grandmother of 27 – lost her eldest child, Rita Fusco-Jackson, 55, on Friday. She was unaware.

Her eldest son, horse racing trainer Carmine Fusco, also 55, died on Wednesday – a few hours before his mother.

A fourth member of the family, Vincent Fusco died on Thursday at CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, the family spokesman said.

Three other Fusco children who contracted coronavirus remain in hospital.

Nearly 20 other relatives are quarantined at their homes, said Roseann Paradiso Fodera, a cousin.

“If they’re not on a respirator, they’re quarantined,” she said.

“It is so pitiful. They can’t even mourn the way you would.”

The deaths of Fusco and Fusco-Jackson are connected to the death of John Brennan, a horse trainer who lived in Little Ferry. The group had all dined together shortly before Brennan fell ill.

Brennan was the first New Jersey resident to die after testing positive for Covid-19.

Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, has said that the Government has had an "amazing response" to a call-out for manufacturers to turn their efforts to make ventilators, which are seen as essential to saving lives from Covid-19.

Speaking on Question Time he said 1,400 companies have come forward to say they are able to turn their capabilities to the task.

A junior doctor in Weston-super-Mare appeared on the BBC's Question Time to tell Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, that her colleagues are "frightened" of ending up in a situation similar to Italy's in a few weeks.

She asked how vital equipment would be rationed when the NHS becomes "overwhelmed".

Mr Hancock said:

"I know that there are concerns on the frontline around making sure that the protective equipment keeps coming.

"I can tell you that over the last 24 hours we've shipped 2.6 million masks, 10,000 bottles of hand sanitiser, and we have a growing effort to get that equipment to the frontline.

"Overnight we're going to get 150 hospitals the next pack of protective equipment that they need. We've got all this in storage in case there's a pandemic like this and there are literally lorries on the road right now.

"Some hospitals will get it overnight tonight and then the rest will get their next load before the end of the weekend."

The Health Secretary has sought to allay doctors' fears that they are lacking the protective equipment and ventilators they needed to deal with the coronavirus crisis.

Matt Hancock insisted, during an appearance on BBC Question Time, that a "massive effort" was under way to deliver personal protective equipment to NHS staff and social care providers.

He said 2.6 million masks and 10,000 bottles of hand sanitiser have been shipped in the past 24 hours and promised that every hospital will have a fresh delivery by the end of Sunday.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today that he expected the closure of the US-Canada border to take effect overnight on Friday and was working with domestic carriers to bring home citizens stranded overseas.

Canada, which closed its borders this week to most foreign nationals, agreed with the United States to close their shared border to "non-essential traffic" to curb transmission of the novel coronavirus.

Canada to date has 801 cases of the COVID-19 respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, and 10 deaths. Some 55,000 people have been tested across the country so far, Chief Medical Officer Theresa Tam said.

More than 30,000 people have answered the Irish government's call for qualified professionals and volunteers to join the healthcare workforce battling the coronavirus emergency, the health service said Thursday.

"We're looking for anyone who can offer their services and skills," Anne Marie Hoey of the Health Service Executive said of the drive launched Tuesday, adding that more than 30,000 people had responded so far.

HSE is seeking medical, nursing, ambulance and healthcare assistants as the nation braces for a sharp rise in infections.

Ravers across the UK are digging out their glitter and glowsticks for a 12-hour dance music festival – livestreamed to their bedrooms.  

Defected Record has lined up House DJs, including Monki, Sam Divine, Low Steppa and The Shapeshifters, to play at an empty club in London's Minsitry of Sound on Friday night.

Hannah Boland has the full story here.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa has announced that people infected with the coronavirus are to be confined to their residences and most retail outlets must close as part of a 15-day state of emergency.

Those over 70 years old or with chronic ailments should only leave home for short walks for health reasons. Costa said the rest of the population should only leave home to commute to work, shop for necessities, to help a family member, to accompany children, or to walk a pet.

Costa added that all retail shops except supermarkets, bakeries, pharmacies, gas stations, and newsstands are ordered to close.

It has now been two weeks since the first confirmed death from coronavirus in the UK - and since then the number who have died has been rising at a faster rate than in Italy.

It highlights the urgency needed to arrest the spread of the disease before the NHS becomes overwhelmed and is unable to cope.

Our data journalist, Dominic Gilbert, has the full story here.

Fitness chain, Pure Gym, have announced they are staying open and customers can now access any gym in the UK.

They issued new guidance to members today, asking them to stay 2 metres away from others while in the gym, as well as trying to visit at off-peak times.

If you're currently isolating or would rather train at home, why not try these fun home workouts, curated by our writer, Katie Russell. 

The US State Department on Thursday issued a new alert urging Americans not to travel abroad under any circumstances and to return home if they are already abroad unless they plan to remain overseas.

"The Department of State advises U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19," it said in the new advice.

"In countries where commercial departure options remain available, U.S. citizens who live in the United States should arrange for immediate return to the United States, unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period. U.S. citizens who live abroad should avoid all international travel."

The 2020 Invictus Games which was due to be held in The Hague in May has been called off because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Organisers said the sporting competition founded by the Duke of Sussex was likely to be rescheduled to May or June 2021.

The competition brings together current and former wounded, injured or sick servicemen and women from more than 20 countries.

In a statement, the Invictus Games Foundation said: "The decision was also taken in recognition of the anticipated strain on medical staff and the infrastructure required in dealing with the pandemic."

Yesterday, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan posted a message of support via their Instagram page, Sussex Royal.

The Cannes film festival is the latest event to not take place as planned due to the coronavirus, its board said Thursday, with its directors looking at postponing it until late June.

The world's biggest film festival was due to take place between May 12 and 23.

But its board said in light of the pandemic they were now looking at rescheduling it to "the end of June-beginning of July".

Several other film festivals, including Tribeca, SXSW and Edinburgh have already been cancelled or put back.

Competition laws will be temporarily relaxed to allow supermarkets to collaborate in feeding the nation during the coronavirus crisis.

Retailers will be able to pool staff, share data on stock levels, and share distribution depots and delivery vans as the Government seeks to ease restrictions under the exceptional circumstances.

The temporary relaxation only permits retailers to work together for the sole purpose of feeding the nation as they face a strain from intense demand amid panic buying, ministers said.

The 5p plastic bag charge will also be waived for online purchases to hasten deliveries, and drivers' hours will be relaxed so more food can be delivered to stores.

Environment Secretary George Eustice listened to the calls of retailers and confirmed elements of the law would be waived during a meeting with chief executives on Thursday.

"We've listened to the powerful arguments of our leading supermarkets and will do whatever it takes to help them feed the nation," he said.

This morning there were chaotic scenes outside London supermarkets as people continued to panic buy despite reassurances from the government supply chains will be maintained.

Ben Riley-Smith, our US Editor, has more from today's White House briefing. 

Donald Trump is ramping up his rhetoric against China as the world struggles to contain the coronavirus outbreak that began in that country.

The US president started his briefing in the White House today by defying critics and again calling the coronavirus the "Chinese virus". 

Some have argued the name fuels xenophobia and is an attempt to blame China, while Trump supporters note past diseases, such as the Spanish flu, carried country names. 

But during the briefing Mr Trump also took digs at China, some veiled and others quite explicit, for its handling of the outbreak. 

He repeatedly said if some people had acted quicker to alert other countries then the spread of the virus would have been limited. 

"Certainty the world is paying a big price for what they did," Mr Trump said at one point, in a remark which singled out China. 

The comments come amid growing tensions between the world's two biggest economies over the outbreak. 

One Chinese official suggested the US Army may have brought coronavirus into the country, triggering its emergence. 

Mr Trump has mentioned that when challenged on his "Chinese virus" nickname, suggesting he is using the term to counter disinformation. 

Millions of people could die from the new coronavirus, particularly in poor countries, if it is allowed to spread unchecked, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Thursday, appealing for a coordinated global response to the pandemic.

"If we let the virus spread like wildfire - especially in the most vulnerable regions of the world - it would kill millions of people," he said.

"Global solidarity is not only a moral imperative, it is in everyone's interests," he said.

Guterres stressed the need for a coordinated global response to contain a "health catastrophe" that already has claimed the lives of more than 9,000 people and infected more than 217,500 around the world.

"We need to immediately move away from a situation where each country is undertaking its own health strategies to one that ensures, in full transparency, a coordinated global response, including helping countries that are less prepared to tackle the crisis," he said.

Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, has said the UK is in discussions to buy a new coronavirus testing kit, which the Prime Minister alluded to in his earlier press conference.

The death toll in Italy due to the coronavirus has now reached the highest in the world, surpassing China where the outbreak started.

But why is the death rate so high?

Sarah Newey, our Global Health Security correspondent, has analysis from the experts here.

This bookshop in Newham in East London has been delivering reads to local customers self-isolating over coronavirus fears. A group of volunteers pick up the books at the store before delivering them to customers home.

The death toll in France from the coronavirus now stands at 372, up from 264 on the previous day, public health officials have confirmed.

It is an increase of almost 41 per cent, the toll rising sharply yet again as the country was in its third day of a lockdown aimed at containing the outbreak.

Additionally, 1,122 people are on life support in the country due to the coronavirus.

For those of you who may be confused with the switch to working from home, Matt has you covered with a detailed map. 

A powerful antibody which could neutralise coronavirus has been discovered by British scientists in the blood of a patient who recovered from Sars, offering hope of a treatment.

Our Science Editor, Sarah Knapton, has the full story here. 

The number of UK infections has risen to 3,269 and 144 deaths, the Department of Health has confirmed.

For those of you who are just joining us, here is a roundup of today's key events:

• A further 19 people, who tested positive for the coronavirus have died, bringing the total number in England to 128 and 137 for the UK.
• The number of deaths in Scotland has doubled from three to six, while Northern Ireland recorded its first fatality.
• The Bank of England has cut its interest rates again to a record low of 0.1 per cent.
• The Government has published its Coronovirus Bill, containing emergency legislation which includes guidance on detaining virus suspects.
• Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "I do think...that we can turn the tide in the next 12 weeks… And I am absolutely confident that we can send the coronavirus packing.”
• In Italy 427 more people have died, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 3,405, which surpasses China's death toll.
• The former EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier has announced he has tested positive for coronavirus.
• A UK patient who tested positive for the coronavirus has been placed in a random trial for a potential treatment.
• The Queen has left London for Windsor as she tells the nation: “I am certain we are up to that challenge.”
• Transport for London has closed 40 stations in the capital with reduced bus services and no Night Tube services.
• The US is fast-tracking the anti-malarial drug chloroquine for use as a treatment against the new coronavirus.
• France lockdown “very likely” to be longer than two weeks, says French minister.
• Germany is heading towards recession according to the Ifo Institute for Economic Research.
• The Army is halting all basic training in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
• Football in England has been postponed until at least April 30, scrapping the usual limit on how late the season can finish.

Another person has died and 191 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the Republic of Ireland.

This is the third death. The total number of cases is now 557 in the Republic

The Dutch medical care minister resigned on Thursday after collapsing from what he said was exhaustion during a debate in parliament on the coronavirus outbreak.

Bruno Bruins, whose responsibilities included dealing with the pandemic, fainted while standing at a lectern in parliament on Wednesday night and had to be helped to his feet.

"The king has granted this resignation in the most honourable manner... with gratitude for the many and important services rendered" by Bruins, said a royal palace statement.

The government of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has been under pressure over what critics called an initially slow response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Rutte has since ordered schools, bars and restaurants shut to respond to the crisis. The Netherlands has reported 2,460 cases including 76 deaths.

The prime minister went to a supermarket on Thursday to promise Dutch people that there would be no shortages of one key commodity: toilet paper.

"We have enough... we can all poop for ten years," Rutte said.

South Africa is building a 6’ high 25 mile long fence along the border with Zimbabwe to try and stop the spread of the virus. Work began on Wednesday.

So far Zimbabwe does not have any confirmed case of the virus but is doing little testing nor is it running any information campaign.

Hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans live and work in South Africa.

The first person to die of the disease in Sub Saharan Africa was an elderly diabetic woman in Burkino Faso.

This just in from Henry Samuel, France correspondent:

President Emmanuel Macron of France deplored that "too many" French were "taking lightly" confinement rules that have been in place since Tuesday, saying they were "not being perfectly respected".

"When I see people going to the park, to the beach or rushing to markets, they haven't understood the messages," he said during a visit to the Pasteur Institute in Paris.

His comments come after unions for medical interns called for "total and absolute confinement of the entire population" and warning that the number of people out of their homes was threatening to scupper attempts to curb the epidemic, which has killed 264 people.

Earlier, the interior minister Christophe Castaner lashed out at "imbeciles" who refuse to obey confinement rules and promised to severely punish those who steal face masks as an inquiry was launched into the theft of 12,500 from Montpellier hospital.

Italy on Thursday overtook China's coronavirus death toll, with 427 new fatalities taking its total to 3,405.

China has officially reported 3,245 deaths since registering the first infection at the end of last year.

Closing today's press conference, the Prime Minister has said the media may need to start heeding the advice by moving the daily press briefings online.

Acknowledging concerns that they may not be able to ask questions, he pledged he would make this possible.

Mr Johnson said: "It may be that we need to do more social distancing. Some sort of remote press conference.

"I will make a pledge that if we have to move to a more remote form of interrogation, I will make sure that we can [take questions from the media]."

Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific advisor, has said: "We're absolutely at the beginning of this and the measures that are in place should start to have an impact. 

"They’re expected to delay and break transmission chains, [so we are] expecting the cases to come down."

Professor Whitty responded to questions about cases of young, healthy people contracting the coronavirus.

He said: "The great majority of people who will get this virus, will recover from it and will not need hospital (treatment)." He stressed this is particularly true for children.

"It is also true that groups of older people and medically vulnerable people do get this more severely.

"But, and this is a point that the US is making, it is important...not to say that younger people will not get [it more severely].

"There will be people who don't fall into these groups who will get seriously ill.

"Take it seriously for yourself, as well as taking it seriously for yourself to take the burden off the NHS."

Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, has said there is a "local and global" issue regarding access to protective equipment for frontline workers.

He said: "I completely understand the points that my colleagues in the NHS have about this... In the short term this is about making sure that the PPE stock that we have goes to the right places. On a global scale then its about making sure there’s enough.

"And training, of course, if you use PPE incorrectly then it can make things worse."

Boris Johnson has been quick to dismiss rumours that the capital will be put into lockdown.

"I do stress that we want to see people following the advice in the capital where we're seeing the (biggest cases)," he said.

"There are some areas where people are not following (the recommendations) in the way that we want them to.

"(But) we’re not going to be telling people that under no circumstances, if they really need to go to work that they can’t go to work."

Prime Minister Johnson said: "I know how difficult it will be it may seem right now.

"But if we do this together then we will save many many lives, and everybody who faces difficulties because of the advice we are giving, I say: stand by your workers, stand by your employees because we will stand by you.

"I have absolutely no doubt that we will turn the tide of this disease and we will beat it together."

The Prime Minister has announced a UK patient who tested positive for the coronavirus has been placed in a random trial for a potential treatment.

Mr Johnson added: "We’re in negotiations today to buy a so called anti-body test, similar to a pregnancy test that can tell if you have had the disease.

"It has the potential to be an absolute game changer."

Addressing the nation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "I’m conscious that people are asking us for hold long we're expecting them to keep [isolation] up.

"I do think, looking at it all, that we can turn the tide in the next 12 weeks.

"And I am absolutely confident that we can send the coronavirus packing, but only if we take the steps we have outlined.

"That is vital because that is how were going to reduce the peak."

While we wait for the Prime Minister to begin, here is some positive news...

A woman who tested positive for coronavirus gave birth to a healthy baby at an Athens hospital, Greek media reported on Thursday.

The 24-year-old woman and her partner had both tested positive before the delivery on Wednesday, but the first test on the baby came back negative for Covid-19.

"The virus is not transmitted by the placenta," the director of maternity at Attikon Hospital told Greek national broadcaster ERT.

The hospital had prepared for the birth by installing a confined area in the ward and the doctors all wore three pairs of gloves, protective glasses and masks to perform the caesarean section.

"It was a unique experience," an obstetrician told ERT.

The mother must remain in isolation for the next 14 days and will only be able to hold her baby at the end of that period.

Travel giant Tui is to cut the pay of workers in response to the coronavirus crisis, but has pledged to maintain a minimum wage of almost £17,100.

The company, which has been forced to suspend package holidays and cruises, said it was introducing measures to ensure the future of its business is protected.

From April, staff required to work will receive a 30% reduction in basic pay and contracted hours, while those working less than 50%, or not at all, will receive a 50% reduction.

There will be no redundancies, other than already planned activity in retail and seasonal cabin crew who were recruited ready for the summer season, who are no longer required.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 10,491 cases of coronavirus, an increase of 3,404 cases from its previous count.

The death toll in the country has also risen by 53 to 150.

As bars and clubs shutter around the world, drag queens are performing online to make up for lost income and keep their fans in good spirits during the coronavirus epidemic, Reuters reports.

Some of the biggest names in drag have got behind the initiative, including including "RuPaul's Drag Race" stars Latrice Royale and Gia Gunn. 

From livestreaming shows from home to reaching out to fans over Instagram to make sure they stay informed, stars are coming up with innovative ways to make sure the ‘show’ goes on.

 The Prime Minister has tweeted a message of support for the NHS, as the nation awaits his daily press conference on the coronavirus.

Police in Northern Ireland have raised shortages of Covid-19 protective kit with Stormont ministers.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) temporary assistant chief constable Alan Todd said the state of confidence and reassurance of officers was linked to their ability to in turn provide reassurance to the public.

He added: "My principal concern is that not all of our officers have all their kit in all of the places at all times."

He said that was down to global demand.

Police call handlers are now asking those contacting them questions to establish whether attending could put officers at risk of contracting the virus, he said.

The US is fast-tracking the anti-malarial drug chloroquine for use as a treatment against the new coronavirus, President Donald Trump said Thursday.

"We're going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately, and that's where the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has been so great," Trump told reporters.

"They've gone through the approval process - it's been approved. They took it down from many, many months to immediate. So we're going to be able to make that drug available by prescription."

But the FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn later indicated that, while the drug has not yet been formally approved, access to it was being expanded so that authorities could gather more data.

This is known as "compassionate use."

"If there is an experimental drug that is potentially available, a doctor could ask for that drug to be used in a patient. We have criteria for that and very speedy approval for that," said Hahn.

The Queen has just shared this message to the country:

As Philip and I arrive at Windsor today, we know that many individuals and families across the United Kingdom, and around the world, are entering a period of great concern and uncertainty.

We are all being advised to change our normal routines and regular patterns of life for the greater good of the communities we live in and, in particular, to protect the most vulnerable within them.

At times such as these, I am reminded that our nation’s history has been forged by people and communities coming together to work as one, concentrating our combined efforts with a focus on the common goal.

We are enormously thankful for the expertise and commitment of our scientists, medical practitioners and emergency and public services; but now more than any time in our recent past, we all have a vitally important part to play as individuals - today and in the coming days, weeks and months.

Many of us will need to find new ways of staying in touch with each other and making sure that loved ones are safe. I am certain we are up to that challenge. You can be assured that my family and I stand ready to play our part.

ELIZABETH R

Romanians face up to 15 years in prison if they violate measures imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic, the government announced today.

An emergency decree lays down the harshest punishment for those who know they have the disease and flout the rules - up to 15 years if someone gets infected and dies as a result of their actions.

Anyone failing to respect quarantine rules could face up to three years in prison, going up to five if their actions lead to the infection of another person.

Around 3,800 people have been placed in quarantine in Romania, mostly people returning from high-risk areas or those who have had contact with a confirmed or suspected coronavirus patient.

"We can't accept that irresponsible citizens who should be isolated don't respect the rules, walk around freely among others and risk making other people sick," Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said.

France remains on lockdown following the outbreak of the coronavirus, but how are Parisians coping the crisis? Stockpiling fine wine, course.

Read a postcard from the unusually quiet city, by Hannah Meltzer, here. 

Fast-food chain Leon will turn its restaurants into mini-supermarkets in a bid to ease food concerns caused by panic-buying in the UK.

Leon, which has more than 75 restaurants and styles itself as "Naturally Fast Food", will transform its shops and launch a new eCommerce platform that allows customers to book a delivery slot a few days in advance, similar to how other supermarkets do.

Both the restaurant and website will sell restaurant-quality ready meals, sauces, meats and other food that customers can store and eat at home.

The platform will launch by March 25, while customers will also be able to buy food immediately using Deliveroo and JustEat.

More than 65,000 former nurses and doctors have been told “Your NHS Needs You”, as part of a recruitment drive to support the fight against coronavirus, NHS England has announced. 

England’s top nurse and top doctor have called on colleagues who have left the NHS in recent years to re-register and help the health service to tackle the “greatest global health threat” in a century.

Those who have left the profession within the last three years, with up to date skills and experience will be asked to return.

Final year medical students and student nurses are also being offered the chance to take temporary, fully-paid roles to boost the NHS frontline.

Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, said: 

“To further boost the ranks of our NHS, we are now turning to people who have recently left the healthcare professions who can bring their experience and expertise to our health system. 

“They can play a crucial role in maximising our capacity to fight this outbreak - and wherever they can help, they will be hugely welcomed."

The number of people attending church weddings during the coronavirus crisis should be limited to the legal minimum of five - the priest, the bride and groom and two witnesses, the Church of England has said.

Trump called hydroxychloroquine a "tremendous breakthrough" and said it would be available almost immediately to fight coronavirus.

Defending 'right to try' laws that were created with the intent of allowing terminally ill patients access to experimental therapies, Trump said that the FDA would be fast-tracking the drug which is used to treat malaria and strong arthritis.

Two inmates at HMP Kilmarnock have tested positive for Covid-19.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) confirmed the cases on Thursday, and said another 28 people at the jail are "symptomatic".

Both individuals who have tested positive are being cared for within the SPS estate and have not required hospital treatment.

Those showing symptoms are self-isolating within their cell for seven days

The money saving expert said:

We face an unprecedented challenge to our health, economy, businesses, personal finance and way of life. And many of those who normally help society – our charities – are going to face similar pressures right now too. 

To try and help I'm going to release £1,000,000 from my personal charity fund to provide grants of £5,000 to £20,000 to small registered charities, or local arms of bigger charities, across the UK – to help with specific UK coronavirus-related poverty relief projects.

Monaco's Prince Albert II has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the principality said in a statement Thursday, adding there were "no concerns for his health".

The titular head of the Mediterranean enclave is continuing to work from his private apartments at the royal palace, the statement said.

The Bill gives the Government three powers in relation to schools.

• The power to close schools or childcare providers
• The power to make "specific types of directions" over the way the schools or childcare providers are run, such as forcing them to remain open
• The power to vary existing arrangements, such as maximum class sizes.

You can follow all the latest developments on the coronavirus bill on our politics live blog.

The deaths in England were among patients between 47 and 96 with underlying health conditions, according to the health service.

The State Department is set to announce a level four travel advisory applying to all international travel, its most serious warning.

The advisory would instruct all Americans abroad to either return to the United States or prepare to shelter in place, given the global threat of the coronavirus outbreak. Under the advisory, Americans would be instructed not to travel abroad.

The Co-op is to create 5,000 store-based posts in a bid to provide temporary employment for hospitality workers who have lost their jobs amid the coronavirus crisis, the company announced.--

The Bank of England has cut interest rates from 0.25pc to 0.1pc in another emergency move to shore up the economy.

In a statement, the Monetary Policy Committee said:

 Over recent days, and in common with a number of other advanced economy bond markets, conditions in the UK gilt market have deteriorated as investors have sought shorter-dated instruments that are closer substitutes for highly liquid central bank reserves.  As a consequence, UK and global financial conditions have tightened.   

You can follow how markets across the world are reacting to coronavirus on our business live blog.

Romanians face up to 15 years in prison if they violate measures imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic, the government announced on Thursday.

An emergency decree lays down the harshest punishment for those who know they have the disease and flout the rules - up to 15 years if someone gets infected and dies as a result of their actions.

Anyone failing to respect quarantine rules could face up to three years in prison, going up to five if their actions lead to the infection of another person.

Around 3,800 people have been placed in quarantine in Romania, mostly people returning from high-risk areas or those who have had contact with a confirmed or suspected coronavirus patient.

"We can't accept that irresponsible citizens who should be isolated don't respect the rules, walk around freely among others and risk making other people sick," Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said.

This just in from Joe Wallen, our India Correspondent:

An activist belonging to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been arrested in the city of Kolkata after he organised a cow urine drinking party and a guest fell ill afterward.

The cow is a sacred animal within Hinduism and some BJP firebrands have advocated its urine, and even dung, as effective methods to stop coronavirus transmission.

One cow urine drinking party in New Delhi on Saturday is said to have attracted 200 devotees.

"We have been drinking cow urine for 21 years, we also take baths in cow dung," one attendee told Reuters, "We have never felt the need to consume English medicine."

While some previous studies have suggested cow urine has anti-bacterial properties there is absolutely no evidence to suggest it can be used to fight coronavirus.

Indian doctors have been quick to discredit alternative remedies - with fire walking, lemon piercing and meditation all suggested by a popular religious guru - and to instead follow the advice of a medical professional.'

There are now 77 cases of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland, the Public Health Agency has announced.

This comes after the country recorded its first death earlier today.

The coronavirus bill contains details of emergency powers for detaining those with the infection, and fining those who do not go into mandatory isolation.

Jacob Rees-Mogg has advised Britons against paying attention to Piers Morgan and instead listen to Government guidance during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Commons Leader had been asked about the role of the media in delivering information to concerned viewers, listeners and readers.

Responding to suggestions that Morgan, a host on ITV's Good Morning Britain, has been making "irresponsible comments on a daily basis", Mr Rees Mogg said people do not have to believe everything said by "controversialists".

"But one does not have to take every utterance from controversialists as wholly writ.

"Piers Morgan enjoys causing a row and I think frankly it'd be better to pay less attention to him rather than more and listen to the Government advisers."

The 321-page coronavirus bill has just been published, covering various emergency powers.

We will bring you all of the analysis here and across the Telegraph website.

As the outbreak spreads around the world, travel writer Thomas O'Malley give us a snapshot of how life goes in China where he lives:

Life in China doesn’t quite feel like it’s returning to normal; more like a new normal. For one thing, there are no tourists. The Great Wall is walled off. Shanghai Disneyland has ordered Mickey and Minnie to work from home. Anyone coming into the capital now, whether from elsewhere in China or overseas, is required to submit to two weeks of quarantine, most likely at a government facility, with family members confined to separate rooms.

You can read his full piece here.

Moroccan police have arrested at least a dozen people for spreading rumours about the coronavirus, authorities said on Thursday, including a woman who used her YouTube channel to say the disease did not exist.

"Fake news is the first cause of panic among citizens," said Prime Minister Saad Eddine El-Otmai, comparing the spread of misinformation with contagion of the disease.

Other people were arrested for attacking the government over its strict measures against public gathering, urging people to ignore them, or saying a lockdown had been implemented when it had not.

Football in England has been postponed until at least April 30, with no limit imposed on when the season can finish.

In joint statement from bodies including the FA, Premier League and EFL, they said:

"The FA’s Rules and Regulations state that "the season shall terminate not later than the 1 June" and "each competition shall, within the limit laid down by The FA, determine the length of its own playing season".

"However, The FA’s Board has agreed for this limit to be extended indefinitely for the 2019/20 season in relation to Professional Football.

"Additionally, we have collectively agreed that the professional game in England will be further postponed until no earlier than 30 April. "

A commission spokesperson has said that although President von der Leyen has no symptoms she will be tested in light of Mr Barnier's announcement. They said:

"President von der Leyen last met Michel Barnier almost two weeks ago to the day. She has no symptoms and therefore is continuing to work. 

"She will be tested obviously in view of this announcement but for the moment her activities continue exactly as foreseen as they do for the rest of the college. 

"The operations of the Commission continue for the moment as normal but obviously all staff who have been in contact with Michel Barnier are asked to take the necessary precaution."

John Lewis and Waitrose have become the latest retailers to announce limits on the purchase of some items amid the coronavirus pandemic.

It comes after rivals Tesco, Sainsbury's, Aldi, Asda and Morrisons all announced similar measures to ease stockpiling pressures.

Waitrose, which is part of John Lewis Partnership, has announced a three-item limit on certain products and a limit of two packets of toilet roll.

The retail group said it is also launching a protected shopping period for the elderly and vulnerable at Waitrose, which will be each store's first opening hour from Friday.

Waitrose cafes and rotisseries will be temporarily shut to help stores cope with increased demand in other areas.

The Queen has been reunited with the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle after leaving London as she socially distances herself amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Philip, 98, was flown by helicopter from the Sandringham estate where he has been staying in his secluded Wood Farm cottage.

The monarch departed Buckingham Palace on Thursday for the Berkshire royal residence, accompanied by her two dorgis.

The duke, who has retired from public duties, had always planned to join his wife for Easter Court, but has arrived a week early to coincide with her movements.

The prime minister in the Netherlands has offered reassurances amid the global coronavirus outbreak: telling citizens on Thursday there is no shortage of toilet paper.

"Yes, I have enough," Mark Rutte told a shopper in an informal exchange while visiting a supermarket to show support for workers. "They have it (on shelves) again."

"But there's enough in the whole country for the coming 10 years," he said.

"We can all poop for 10 years."

A further 24 people in Wales have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases to 170, Public Health Wales says.

The Duke of Cambridge has recorded a message of support for the National Emergencies Trust's fundraising appeal as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

The full details on the London lockdown from Gordon Rayner, our political editor:

Downing Street has insisted there is “zero prospect” of people being banned from travelling in and out of London as it denied the capital would be put into “lockdown”.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said there was also no chance of the London Transport network being closed down.

Reports of households being restricted to one person leaving at a time are “not true”, the spokesman added.

On Wednesday Boris Johnson said he would rule nothing out when it came to restrictions on transport, fuelling speculation about a major clampdown this weekend.

But at a briefing for journalists in Downing Street, Mr Johnson’s spokesman moved to rule out some of the more extreme measures that were reported to be under consideration.

The spokesman said: “There are no plans to close down the transport network and there is zero prospect of any restriction being placed on travelling in or out of London. It is not happening.

“The Prime Minister and his advisers have set out the need for social distancing measures to limit the spread of the virus and to protect lives.

“What we are focused on is ensuring that as many people as possible take that advice and don’t unnecessarily put themselves in a position where they could spread coronavirus.”

The spokesman said any further guidance issued to Londoners would be likely to centre on avoiding pubs and restaurants and on increased home working.

London Transport has shut 40 Underground stations as part of a reduced service, which was done in consultation with the Department for Transport, but No10 insisted Tubes and buses would continue to run.

Asked if access to the transport system could be restricted to key workers, the spokesman said: “I have seen absolutely no suggestion that the Government is intending to restrict access to the transport system.”

The spokesman also played down suggestions that people could be fined for disobeying the Government advice - as France has started doing - saying the power to do so existed, but had only been introduced to prevent people leaving quarantine facilities at the start of the outbreak.

Asked about reports that families could be restricted to one person leaving the house at a time, the spokesman said: “That is not true.”

One Whitehall official went further, saying the Government would “never” lock down cities in the way that has happened in some European countries.

The same source said: “There isn’t going to come any point where border guards are stopping people coming in and out of London. That is not the sort of country we are.”

The Queen has left her residence at Buckingham Palace, with one of her dorgis (a dachshund-corgi cross) watching on out of the window.

Iran is to free "around 10,000 prisoners" in an amnesty marking the Persian New Year, Nowruz, on Friday, including half of those serving time for security offences, the judiciary said.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei grants several mass amnesties a year marking the major Islamic and national holidays but this week's early releases come as Iran battles one of the world's worst COVID-19 outbreaks outside China.

The latest amnesty aims to "reduce the number of prisoners in light of the sensitive situation in the country", Esmaili said.

"Around half of those convicted of national security offences will benefit from this amnesty," Esamili added without giving a figure.

When asked about different strains of the virus, Professor Chris Whitty said "with a strong caveat of scientific speculation" that it was expected to mutate.

He said there was a chance that the virus could mutate "around the vaccine", but that some mutations could be "actually useful".

"Smaller mutations... help to track family trees of the virus," said Professor Whitty, adding that this would help scientists to understand and tackle the disease.

Sir Patrick Vallance added that the UK was "absolutely world-class" in addressing viral mutations.

The Queen has left London for Windsor Castle as she socially distances herself amid the coronavirus pandemic. The monarch was seen driving away from Buckingham Palace with her dogs.

One of her dorgis was spotted sitting next to the 93-year-old head of state.

The Queen is moving to the sanctuary of her historic Berkshire home a week earlier than she normally would at this time of year, and is expected to remain there beyond the Easter period.

Nicola Sturgeon has disclosed that the number of people in Scotland who have died after testing positive for coronavirus has doubled from three to six.

More as we get it.

Defence forces engaged in training Iraqi security forces have been redeployed back to the UK because of coronavirus.

The Ministry of Defence said that there has been a "reduced requirement for training" since the outbreak.

The training mission, which the UK has conducted alongside Global Coalition partners since 2014, has been paused for 60 days as a precaution due to the global pandemic.

Ben Wallace, the defence secretary said:

“In recent months the tempo of training has significantly declined, which means that I am in a position to bring back the current training unit to the UK.”

“There remains a significant footprint of UK Armed Forces within the coalition and elsewhere. We are committed to building Iraq’s security capacity through our membership of the Global Coalition that has proved so effective and will continue to support the Iraqi Government in achieving stability.”

Chief medical officer for England Professor Chris Whitty has said that there are "significant health and social downsides" to the social distancing measures.

Speaking at a briefing, he said: "If you do them too early you get all the negatives but almost an immeasurable impact on the epidemic."

Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser, added that it was "not possible" to put absolute timelines on the pandemic.

This just in from Henry Samuel, our France correspondent:

France's interior minister Christophe Castaner has lashed out at "imbeciles" who refuse to obey confinement rules and promised to severely punish those who steal face masks as an inquiry was launched into the theft of 12,500 from Montpellier hospital.

"Some people think they are little heroes when they break the rules. Well no, they are imbeciles," he told Europe 1.

"They pose a risk to themselves, their family, their loved ones but also to health workers who will be there even if they behave stupidly, to help them, treat them, save them."

He slammed the "shameful and vile" theft of face masks, which are in short supply in French hospitals, saying that those caught faced three years in prison and a €45,000 fine. If stolen from a chemist at night, the sentence could be increased to five years in prison and a €75,000 fine.

Unilabs, the leading European diagnostic services provider, has set up a "drive-through" facility to collect samples from suspected Covid-19 patients. The facility, among the first of its kind in Europe, is based in Porto, Portugal.

After making an appointment, patients drive to the collection point, where they roll down their windows to be tested by trained medical staff in protective clothing.

By remaining in their own vehicles throughout, patients minimize contact with other people, reducing the risk of infection for everyone – patients, medical professionals, and the general public.

According to the company, the system allows about 400 daily tests to be performed in the first phase, rising to nearly 700 tests over the coming days. 

Downing Street has dismissed suggestions of a travel ban in and around the capital.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "There are no plans to close down the transport network in London and there is zero prospect of any restrictions being placed on travelling in and out of London."

This comes after Transport for London decided to close down tube stations to limit travel around the capital.

Mr Khan said work was under way in writing to recently-retired police officers so they could return to work to do back office functions.

He also said recently retired firefighters under 70 could be asked to help.

The National Literacy Trust said it has launched an online zone for parents looking for ideas and activities whilst their children are home due to school closures.

It includes reading and writing activities, book lists, videos, competitions and reading challenges.

Chief executive Jonathan Douglas said: "We want to ensure that every parent across the UK has access to a wide range of exciting activities that will engage their children at home whilst also supporting their literacy development."

London's Crossrail project could be delayed further because of the coronavirus crisis, London mayor Sadiq Khan has said.

He told the London Assembly that he was "not sure" what impact the outbreak would have on the project.

"Crossrail 2 will do what they can to work remotely where they can, but some of the things you need to be physically there to do so I think it is inevitable."

Greece on Thursday handed over the Olympic flame to Tokyo 2020 organisers at a ceremony held behind closed doors amid calls for the Olympics to be postponed over the coronavirus pandemic.

In the absence of spectators, Olympic gymnastics champion Lefteris Petrounias ran a lap with the flame and Olympic pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi lit a cauldron inside the all-marble Panathenaic stadium, where the first modern Olympics were held in 1896.

Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou in a statement said the ancient Olympic values of "concord, goodwill, brotherhood... are the weapon to use" against the virus.

In lighter news, this cat is taking well to self-isolation by cheering up passers by with a cheeky wave.

The Army is setting up "virtual platoons" after halting all basic training in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

All face-to-face basic training and recruiting activity will be postponed indefinitely, although all recruits either in training or who have been given a start date will retain their places.

The Army says training will continue where possible using online learning tools.

An army spokesman said the "virtual platoons" will use the existing Defence Learning Environment, an online portal to which all soldiers have access.

Read the full story from Dominic Nicholls, our defence and security correspondent.

This just in from Justin Huggler, our Berlin correspondent:

Regional authorities in Germany have threatened to order curfews if people do not start taking govermment advice to remain at home seriously.

“If people do not restrict themselves voluntarily, then in the end a Bavaria-wide curfew will be the only way to deal with this. Everyone has to be clear about that," Markus Söder, the regional prime minister for Bavaria said. 

Michael Müller, the mayor of Berlin, issued a similar warning for Germany's capital after police broke up a series of "coronavrius parties".

Non-essential shops and nightlife have been closed across Germany. People have been advised to leave home only to go to work or run essential errands, but there is no curfew.

"I cannot and will not rule out taking further measures in the coming days," Mr Müller said. "The question of a lockdown can play a role. That can be decided quickly.  In that case, the parks and gardens will be closed."

Reuven Rivlin, the president of Israel, invited parents and children to join him for storytime at midday on his Facebook page. 

Mr Rivlin read the children's storybook "A Flat for Rent" by Leah Goldberg in a Facebook livestream. 

The story, based on an eastern European fable, is a classic of children's literature about the importance of being friendly to your neighbours. 

Paul Nuki, our global health security editor, explains how the virus is going to hit the health service:

We know the NHS as a whole has too little capacity to cope with the coronavirus outbreak. That’s why all hospitals were on Tuesday ordered to send “medically fit” patients home and cancel all non-urgent operations, moves which will impact tens of thousands.

Despite such announcements, it’s a mistake to think of the NHS as a single service. It is anything but. Health care in the UK is run independently in each of the four nations. Even in England, the service Mr Stevens’ presides over, the NHS, is not really one entity run and controlled from the centre. In reality it's a federation of sometimes competing services.

You can read his full analysis here.

Israeli spy agency Mossad brought 100,000 coronavirus testing kits into Israel this week, only for the health ministry to find they were unusable due to missing components.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Mossad procured the kits from "two countries," without details of which ones and how, but it then emerged they were missing the liquid solution the testing stick needs to be dipped in before use.

A spokesman for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said he was "using his connections around the world" to secure more testing kits by the end of the week. 

The kits were given to Mossad with the "consent" of the countries involved. 

Following the announcement of school closures across the UK, there are still a lot of unanswered questions:

How will pupils get their results? What will happen about university places? What makes a child "vulnerable" and how is a "key worker" being defined?

Camilla Turner, our education editor, will be answering all your questions on school closures from 11.30 a.m.

Join the conversation here.

This just in from Nataliya Vasilyeva, our Moscow correspondent:

Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian president, has dismissed global response to the coronavirus epidemic as “psychosis,” saying that panic around Covid-19 is more dangerous than the disease itself.

Mr Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for nearly 26 years, made the remarks on Thursday during a meeting with the country’s top health officials whom he said he invited to discuss “the coronavirus psychosis.”

Belarus, a former Soviet republic west of Russia, has 51 confirmed cases of the disease but not deaths.

Once dubbed Europe’s last dictator, Mr Lukashenko on Thursday lambasted other countries including Russia for shutting down their borders, which he called “an incredible foolishness” that “does nothing to protect” Russia or other countries.

“I’m convinced that this is just psychosis which could benefit some and hurt others,” Mr Lukashenko said in televised remarks. “Panic could hurt us much more than the virus itself.”

Sadiq Khan criticised Londoners who were refusing to follow the official guidance on social distancing and were still travelling around the city.  In a direct message to the capital's residents, he said:

"I can't say this clearly enough: people should not be travelling by any means unless they absolutely must.

"The scientific advice on this is very clear: Londoners should be avoiding social interaction unless absolutely necessary and this includes avoiding using the transport network.

"I want to see more Londonders following the expert advice, which means it's critical that we see far fewer Londoners using our transport network than is currently the case."

Germany's IfW institute on Thursday revised its 2020 growth forecast for Europe's largest economy due to the coronavirus outbreak, predicting gross domestic product to shrink between 4.5% and 9% this year.

German manufacturers have recorded the most precipitous drop in business expectations in the 70-year history of industrial surveys, preliminary figures showed on Thursday, with overall morale cratering to the level of the 2009 recession.

Its overall business climate index for Europe's biggest economy slumped to 87.7 from 96.0 in February.

"The German economy is speeding into recession," said Clemens Fuest, President of the Ifo institute, which published preliminary results of its monthly survey for March.

Referring to the plunge in manufacturing business morale, he said: "Never in the history of a reunified Germany has it fallen so far. The drop in expectations is the single most precipitous in 70 years of industry surveys," Ifo said.

Mr Eustice said in the Commons: "We will not do that measure.

"It was something that was done in Italy, with a restriction on the number of people in stores and what they found was they just had hundreds of people huddled together at the entrance to the store and it's counterproductive."

This just in from Henry Samuel, our France correspondent, on the situation across the channel:

"Between two and four weeks" are required for the outbreak to be contained, Genevieve Chene, the head of the country's public health agency, told Franceinfo radio, which means an extension of the home confinement that began Tuesday would "very likely be necessary."

She said that such measures could put the "brakes" on the epidemic sufficiently to avoid the scale of the death toll in neighbouring Italy and end up with a toll higher than influenza but "contained".

Judging by the virus' course in China, she said France could hope to see "an inversion of the curve (of the epidemic) around "mid-May or end-of-May," she said.

Ms Chene also said that France had never considered allowing the virus to spread among the population to boost collective immunity, as was apparently the case at first in Britain and the Netherlands.

 The former EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier has announced he has tested positive for coronavirus.

Despite all the focus on the capital, it is hospitals outside London that are at greater risk of becoming overwhelmed during a major coronavirus epidemic, according to new analysis.

Bill Gardner and Paul Nuki, our global health security editor talk you through what this means for your area:

Rural areas will be hit hardest by a national shortfall of hospital beds as the virus outbreak sweeps across the country, modelling seen by The Telegraph suggests.

Meanwhile, senior doctors warned that elderly and frail people may be denied critical care if hospitals run out of room. Health chiefs are discussing plans to "move the goalposts" so priority is given to younger patients with better survival chances, it is understood.

You can read the full piece here to see if your hospital might be one of those effected.

Actress Gal Gadot led a star-studded cover of John Lennon's Imagine as celebrities including Natalie Portman and Jamie Dornan attempted to lift spirits amid the coronavirus outbreak.

In a video viewed millions of times on Instagram, Israeli Wonder Woman star Gadot explains she has been in isolation for six days and the global crisis has left her feeling "philosophical".

George Eustice, the minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, seemed to suggest in the Commons that workers in supermarkets may be on the expected list of key workers.

This just in from foreign correspondent, Matthew Day:

There are increasing calls in Poland for the cancellation of presidential elections due to be held in May.

With the country in semi-lockdown and mass gatherings prohibited owing to the pandemic crisis some candidates have stopped campaigning and called for the postponement of the elections.

So far Andrzej Duda, the president, and the government have not supported such calls.

To postpone the elections would require a natural disaster or the declaration of a state of emergency to be declared.

The German government plans a 40 billion euro rescue package for small businesses and the self-employed to tide them through the collapse in demand brought on by the coronavirus epidemic, Der Spiegel magazine has reported.

The "Solidarity Fund" represents a definitive break from Germany's long-standing no-new-debts policy, since it will be structured as a government-backed vehicle with the power to borrow at the very low rates available to the German government.

There will be a total of 10 billion euros in direct grants available to small businesses, and a further 30 billion euros available in the form of loans.

Despite Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, suggesting earlier today that "no decision has been made" yet on the shutdown of London many shoppers in and outside the capital have seen this as a last chance to get in supplies.

British shoppers were queuing around the block early this morning to buy basic goods.

Reuters are reporting that more than 100 people queuing in the rain before the 7 opening of a large Sainsbury's store in Clapham Common, while a few miles away in Vauxhall queues snaked around another.

France's 15-day lockdown ordered by President Emmanuel Macron to curb the coronavirus epidemic could be extended if necessary, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said.

"The 15-day period may be extended. If necessary, the government will re-conduct it," Castaner told Europe 1 radio station.

Since Wednesday morning, the police deployed to enforce the lockdown has carried out 70,000 controls and handed out 4,095 tickets to those flouting the lockdown, Castaner added.

Train, coach and bus frequencies are being cut amid a collapse in demand and Government advice on avoiding non-essential travel.

This comes as Transport for London announced that 40 tube stations would be closing in the capital.

Northern Trains said there will be cancellations on a dozen routes on Thursday "as a result of Covid-19".

South Western Railway said it is cancelling trains at short notice as, "like most organisations, we're seeing more staff having to stay at home unwell".

Great Western Railway has announced its sleeper service between London Paddington and Penzance - known as the Night Riviera - will be suspended after Friday "to protect our customers and colleagues".

A majority of Burberry's stores in its European and American markets have closed as high streets have been hit in the bid to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the business revealed.

More than 60% of stores in Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa, and 85% of those in the Americas are shut as the battle against the virus continues.

In an earlier-than-expected trading update which was brought forward because of the outbreak, Burberry warned that its in-store sales were likely to take a 30% hit from the virus in the fourth quarter of the year.

Meanwhile, footfall in the stores that are still open is "very weak" while opening hours have been slashed.

Since January 24, sales have deteriorated by around 40% to 50%, Burberry revealed.

You can follow how the virus is wreaking havoc across world markets on our business live blog.

France's two-week home confinement will "very likely" have to be extended to curb the novel coronavirus pandemic, the head of the country's public health agency said.

"Between two and four weeks" are required for the outbreak to be contained, Genevieve Chene told Franceinfo radio, which means an extension of the home confinement that began Tuesday would "very likely be necessary."

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said the Government stands ready to take the "incredibly tough decisions" needed to slow the spread of the virus.

He said there are currently no plans to shut down bars and restaurants and order people off the streets but that ministers would be guided by the scientific evidence.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The Prime Minister will constantly be informed by the scientific and medical evidence.

"We will take the incredibly tough decisions that are sometimes needed in order to ensure the safety of the population.

"The Prime Minister has at every stage in terms of dealing with this demonstrated that he will provide the leadership that is required in order to deal with some of the most difficult decisions that any prime minister has ever had to deal with in peacetime.

"But, as the Prime Minister has said, there are certainly no plans to do so at the moment."

Labour former prime minister and chancellor Gordon Brown has urged Rishi Sunak to do "considerably more" to protect people's jobs by the weekend amid the coronavirus crisis.

"I think he will have to do considerably more to deal with the issues of employment protection," Mr Brown told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"He says he'll do more but the package should be out now to avoid redundancies being forced upon companies over the next day or two.

"I think a lot of company directors will be looking at the moment to how many staff they are going to shed in the next few days, next few weeks.

"And I think we need to step in now with building the confidence that we can keep people in work or keep people on short term in work and have an arrangement with people where they take some holidays but at the same time they are going to have income protection.

"If families don't have income protection there's lot of other consequences: people try to work if they are sick, people put themselves at risk.

"Their health becomes an issue of public health and I think we really have to step in to deal with this particular blockage at the moment and I hope the Chancellor will act before the end of tomorrow."

BBC Director-General Lord Hall has not ruled out a further delay to the end of the free licence fee for over-75s.

The universal benefit was due to end on June 1 but was pushed back until Aug 1 as a result of coronavirus.

Asked whether it could be delayed further if the crisis is not over by then, Lord Hall told Radio 4's Today programme: "The board met on Sunday to take that decision, to put the implementation off until August, and the phrase is 'under review'.

"I think on all of this ... we must just keep doing what we think is right each day and keep everything under review."

Here's the latest from our Moscow Correspondent Nataliya Vasilyeva

Russia has reported its first coronavirus death.

The country’s headquarters for tackling the outbreak of Covid-19 said Thursday morning that a 79-year old woman who was hospitalised in Moscow on Friday and later tested positive for the disease has died.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Twitter that the woman had pre-existing conditions including diabetes and atherosclerosis.

She was taken to a private clinic with pneumonia on Friday before she was transferred to a state hospital on Monday following positive test results for coronavirus.

The woman had breathing problems and received mechanical ventilation but that did not help in the end.

Russia has recorded just 147 confirmed coronavirus cases, a low figure largely attributed to a lack of widespread testing as well as restrictions that Russian officials took as early as January including closing the border with China.

An extraordinary post from The White House's official Twitter account: 

With London ahead of the coronavirus curve, the rich are said to be fleeing for pastures green.

According to The Times, affluent families are willing to pay up to £50,000 a month to owners of country properties in order to temporarily relocate.

The paper reports that estate agents have been swamped with calls from wealthy Londoners daunted by the prospect of working from home in a locked down capital.

Good morning.

If you're just joining us, there has already been a lot of movement this morning on the coronavirus outbreak. 

1. No new cases in China overnight - first time since beginning of crisis
2. Grandparents told not to look after their grandchildren 
3. Children remain set to get their GCSE and A-level results this summer
4. Queen cancels Japan state visit to the UK
5. Transport for London shuts down 40 Tube stations

You can catch up with those updates below

Universities UK chief executive Alistair Jarvis has said that there are two options being looked at for those who where scheduled to sit their A-levels this summer. 

They are: 

1. Children are graded by the work they have already completed
2. Universities honour offers already made

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said the Government would be prepared to waive the newly-qualified teacher status to ensure new teachers currently in training can enter the classroom in September.

During an interview with Sky News, he was asked whether - for trainee teachers who will not have had the required classroom time by September - the Government would be prepared to waive the newly-qualified teacher status.

Mr Williamson said: "We will be prepared to waive that, we will be working with teacher training establishments in order to do this.

"We're also starting to roll out something called the Early Career Framework which in a number of regions will be starting the next academic year and right across the country the following year to make sure new teachers are supported."

Gavin Williamson, Education Secretary, has said the aim is for children to get their GCSE and A-level results in the summer.

Exams have already been ruled out, so it suggests that children will be given their predicted grades. 

He told the BBC: "Our aim will be to issue results in the summer under a different system that we've done in the past with traditional exams." 

The Education Secretary insisted children would retain the right to appeal their grades if they think they have been short-changed.

After the Government has met with Ofqual, Mr Williamson said the full details will be released on Friday.

On Wednesday, it was announced that schools will close from Friday. 

But they would remain open to children whose parents are key workers. 

Later on today, there will be a complete list of people who are considered key workers, Gavin Williamson told the BBC. 

National Express said it is running reduced coach services in a similar way to how it operates on Christmas Day, due to the drop in demand caused by the coronavirus.

This has the effect of removing up to 80 percent of capacity.

Japan's state visit to the UK in May has been postponed, Buckingham Palace has announced.

A palace statement said: "After consultation with Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Japan, Her Majesty The Queen has agreed that, in the current circumstances, the planned state visit to the United Kingdom in spring 2020 by their majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan should be postponed.

"The state visit will be rescheduled at a later date."

Online supermarket Ocado has seen growth double in March as the business is overwhelmed by new orders from people staying indoors to avoid the coronavirus pandemic.

The retailer, which on Wednesday temporarily shut down its website to give itself breathing space, said that sales growth in the second quarter of the year was so far twice that in the three months ending March 1.

Ocado said it is working with its suppliers to increase its stock in relevant categories.

However, it did not increase financial guidance for the year, saying the spike in orders now could mean a fall-off later as customers burn through their supplies instead of ordering more food.

Asked if there are plans in place for London to shut down and for the only things open in the capital to be shops, supermarkets and pharmacies, the Education Secretary said: "The Prime Minister said yesterday there currently isn't the intention to lockdown London, but obviously looking at the scientific advice...no decision has been made." 

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said children not at school should not be hanging around with their friends and shouldn't be cared for by their grandparents. 

He told Sky News it was "essential" for them to be a part of social distancing.

With so many people working from home, interaction with pets might well be at an all-time high. 

So, here's how to protect them during the pandemic: 

Here's the potentially promising news from our Asia Correspondent Nicola Smith:

A team of Singapore-based scientists has uncovered the first glimmer of hope that the COVID-19 virus could be mutating into a less virulent strain after discovering key protein suspected to affect the virus’s transmission and severity has disappeared in some patients.

In an academic paper, still under peer review but provided to The Australian, the Duke National University of Singapore team reported the protein “deletion” discovered in eight Singapore ­patients between February 9 and March 2 was consistent with those found at the tail end of the 2003 SARS outbreak, and could signal a weakening of the disease.

Duke NUS team leader Wang Linfa, an Australian virologist who sequenced and named Australia’s bat-borne Hendra horse virus, said the discovery was significant because “it’s important for the world to know that, just like SARS and MERS, (COVID-19) can change”.

Among the first hallmarks of the novel coronavirus identified early by World Health Organisation scientists was that it was ­genetically more stable than its ­severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome predecessors.

Actress Gal Gadot led a star-studded cover of John Lennon's Imagine as celebrities including Natalie Portman and Jamie Dornan attempted to lift spirits amid the coronavirus outbreak.

In a video viewed more than two million times on Instagram, Israeli Wonder Woman star Gadot explains she has been in isolation for six days and the global crisis has left her feeling "philosophical".

The 34-year-old added she had been inspired by a viral video from Italy - which is in lockdown after being devastated by the virus - of a man playing Imagine on his trumpet while quarantined neighbours join in from their homes.

Gadot sang the intro to Lennon's 1971 classic before a host of celebrities took it in turns to sing portions of the song.

As well as Oscar-winning actress Portman and Northern Irish star Dornan, they include Sia, Pedro Pascal, Zoe Kravitz, Chris O'Dowd, Leslie Odom Jr, Eddie Benjamin, Ashley Benson, Lynda Carter, Jimmy Fallon, Will Ferrell, Norah Jones, Kaia Gerber, Cara Delevingne, Annie Mumolo, Labrinth and Maya Rudolph.

Here is a look at what you'll see on your newstands this morning: 

Telegraph

Times

Mail

Financial Times

Guardian

Mirror

Metro

Express

The organisers of the Tokyo Olympic Games have played down reports that ticket-holders will not be refunded if the event is cancelled and criticised debate over whether the Games should be held in the face of the global coronavirus pandemic, Julian Ryall reports. 

Citing sources within the Games’ organising committee, Japanese media reported on Wednesday that the fine print attached to the tickets state, “Tokyo 2020 shall not be liable for any failure to perform any obligation under the Terms and Conditions to the extent that the failure is caused by a Force Majeure”. 

The terms define force majeure as, “Any cause beyond Tokyo 2020’s reasonable control, including, without limitation, acts of God, war, insurrection, riot, civil disturbance, acts of terrorism, fire, explosion, flood, theft, malicious damage, strike, lockout, weather, third party injunction, national defence requirements, public health emergency, and acts or regulations of national or local governments”. 

Read the full report. 

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says all non-citizens and non-residents would be banned from entering the country from 9 pm on Friday.

"The overwhelming proportion of cases in Australia have been imported," Mr Morrison told a televised briefing in Canberra.

Australia has recorded around 600 coronavirus infections and six deaths, a relatively small number compared to other countries, but officials are growing increasingly concerned about the prospect of a rapid spike in cases.

Across the water, New Zealand also closed its borders to all foreigners from midnight on Thursday.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a press conference that citizens and permanent residents can still return, but their options are running out as many commercial airlines are cancelling flights.

"We will no tolerate risk at our borders," Ms Ardern said at a news conference, adding that borders will remain open for freight and cargo and urged people not to panic-shop.

New Zealand has so far confirmed 28 cases of the coronavirus.

Transport for London says it will run a reduced service in the capital from today.

It says the plans were designed to allow critical workers to make essential journeys and will see up to 40 stations which do not interchange with other lines closed on the Tube network.

Buses in the capital will be reduced and people are being urged "not to use public transport for anything other than essential journeys" and the Waterloo and City line and Night Tube services will not run from Friday.

Stations which could be affected include:

• Bakerloo line: Lambeth North, Regents Park, Warwick Avenue, Kilburn Park, Charing Cross
• Central line: Holland Park, Queensway, Lancaster Gate, Chancery Lane, Redbridge
• Circle line: Bayswater, Great Portland Street, Barbican
• District line: Bow Road, Stepney Green, Mansion House, Temple, St James's Park, Gloucester Road
• Jubilee line: Swiss Cottage, St John's Wood, Bermondsey, Southwark
• Northern line: Tuffnell Park, Chalk Farm, Mornington Crescent, Goodge Street, Borough, Clapham South, Tooting Bec, South Wimbledon, Hampstead
• Piccadilly line: Caledonian Road, Arsenal, Covent Garden, Hyde Park Corner, Bounds Green, Manor House
• Victoria line: Pimlico, Blackhorse Road

Australia's central bank has made an emergency interest rate cut to a historic low of 0.25 percent y as part of several measures to counter the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Reserve Bank of Australia board cut the cash rate a quarter point and said it would remain at this record low "until progress is being made towards full employment".

Other measures included of government bond purchases and support for the banking sector, it said.

Two US lawmakers on Wednesday became the first members of Congress to announce they have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart's office said in a statement that "just a short while ago, he was notified that he has tested positive for Covid-19".

The Republican, who represents part of Miami, follows that city's mayor, Francis Suarez, who announced that he had tested positive for coronavirus last week.

They are following CDC-specified self-isolation guidelines at their homes.

The European Central Bank on Wednesday unexpectedly said it would spend 750 billion euros (£709bn) on "emergency" bond purchases, as it joined other central banks in stepping up efforts to contain the economic damage from the coronavirus.

The so-called Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme comes just six days after the ECB unveiled a big-bank stimulus package that failed to calm nervous markets, piling pressure on the bank to open the financial floodgates.

Read more: ECB brings 750 billion euro bazooka to coronavirus fightback

The boss of EasyJet has warned that airlines could go bankrupt amid the coronavirus outbreak without the support from the Government.

Johan Lundgren, who appeared in a pre-recorded interview with Robert Peston on ITV on Wednesday evening, said the airline has so far cancelled 14,000 flights this month as the virus continues to spread.

His warning came as Ryanair announced it will cancel more than four out of five flights between Thursday and March 24 with an exception for "essential connectivity" journeys. Airline Jet2.com has suspended all of its flights until next month.

During his interview on Peston, Mr Lundgren said: "Everything from the Gulf War to the 9/11 to the Sars and the financial crisis in 2008 and ash cloud, there is nothing as bad as what I see right now. And the issue around it is really the uncertainty. You know, when is this going to end?"

He added: "If we don't get sufficient levels of support from the Government and this continues for that period of time, the aviation industry will not be intact."

There is mixed news for China this morning.

It reported no new domestic cases of the coronavirus for the first time since it started recording them in January ... but it recorded a sharp rise in infections imported from abroad.

There were 34 cases that were brought in from abroad, the biggest daily increase in two weeks, according to the National Health Commission.

Ten thousand troops are on standby to combat coronavirus with plans to run hotels as hospitals and man roadblocks if required.

The new Covid Support Force, made up of Regular and Reserve units, could be doubled to 20,000 if necessary, the Defence Secretary has announced.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “The men and women of our Armed Forces stand ready to protect Britain and her citizens from all threats, including Covid-19."

Read more: Plans for Army to run hotels as hospitals and man roadblocks

NHS hospitals outside London are at greater risk of becoming overwhelmed during a major coronavirus epidemic, according to new analysis.

Rural areas will be hit hardest by a national shortfall of hospital beds as the virus outbreak sweeps across the country, modelling seen by The Telegraph suggests.

Read more: Shortfall of beds as virus sweeps country

Here's what you need to know:

• Schools in England will close from Friday until further notice for all pupils except children of key workers and the most vulnerable

• Gavin Williamson confirmed that assessments and examinations will not take place in the current academic year

• London is braced for a lockdown as the Government prepares emergency legislation to prevent the spread of coronavirus

• The death toll in the UK has reached 104, with infections rising by 676 to 2,626 in just 24 hours

• Italy’s death toll has surged by 475 to 2,978 - the highest daily rise yet recorded