The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan has risen to 52 after 20 more cases were reported in the country on Sunday.

Punjab reported its first case today. The Sindh government reported 18 new cases (13 from Sukkur and five from Karachi), raising the province's total to 35.

One new case was also reported from Islamabad Capital Territory.

Globally, more than 6,000 people have died and more than 156,000 have been infected by COVID-19 as the disease spreads rapidly to new territories.

The epicentre of the outbreak has now shifted to Europe, which is recording a rapid rise in new cases every day.

There is a discrepancy in the number of confirmed cases in Pakistan as the Live Dashboard managed by the National Institute Health is updated with a delay and provincial authorities are providing a different toll.

We are trying to gather fresh information from concerned authorities and will update our data accordingly.

Read on for updates on what's happening in Pakistan and around the world.

END OF LIVE UPDATES ON MARCH 15

Updates for March 16 continue here. 

11:54pm - European coronavirus death toll passes 2,000: AFP tally

VIDEO: American teacher demonstrates the importance of washing hands

11:36pm - Saudi Arabia closes malls, restaurants, cafes and parks

Saudi Arabia ordered the closure on Sunday of malls, restaurants, coffee shops and public parks and gardens while exempting supermarkets, pharmacies and food delivery, in a bid to stem the spread of coronavirus, Reuters reported.

Several local municipalities tweeted the directives, which Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said would apply across the country, where 103 infections but no deaths have been reported.

The orders appeared to go into effect immediately. A diner in Riyadh told Reuters the restaurant she had been sitting in shuttered about 45 minutes before the announcement was made.

Saudi Arabia has taken some of the most drastic steps among Gulf Arab states by halting international passenger flights, cancelling the umrah pilgrimage and locking down its eastern Qatif region, where many cases are centered.

 

11:11pm - Hit by virus fears, North America box office near 20-year low

Under the shadow of the coronavirus outbreak, the North American box office had its lowest weekend ticket sales in two decades as viewers stayed home and some theatres limited their capacities to ensure patrons could sit near empty seats, AFP reported, citing industry watchers.

Pixar/Disney´s animated film "Onward" retained the top spot for the second week, but saw estimated ticket sales for the Friday-to-Sunday period plummet from last week´s $39 million to just $10.5 million, Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.

 

Overall, the box office appeared to be at a 20-year low of around $55 million, a figure even lower than the first two weekends after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, according to the Hollywood Reporter website.

It quoted one executive as estimating that 100 of North America´s 5,000 theatres had closed completely, with others likely to follow.

In the second spot for the weekend was new Lionsgate film "I Still Believe," at $9.5 million. The cast of the Christian romantic drama includes country singer Shania Twain.

Third spot went to another new release, Sony´s "Bloodshot," a superhero film starring Vin Diesel. It took in an estimated $9.3 million.

Universal´s thriller "The Invisible Man" placed fourth, at $6 million. It stars Elisabeth Moss as the former girlfriend of a man who returns to haunt her after supposedly committing suicide.

And in fifth spot was another new film, Universal´s thriller "The Hunt," at $5.3 million. Hilary Swank and Betty Gilpin are among the stars in a tale of a dozen strangers who find themselves being pursued, as a sport, by a group of wealthy hunters.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

"Sonic the Hedgehog" ($2.6 million)

"The Way Back" ($2.4 million)

"The Call of the Wild" ($2.2 million)

"Emma" ($1.4 million)

"Bad Boys for Life" ($1.1 million)

VIDEO: Dr Zafar Mirza calls for end to India-occupied Kashmir lockdown in view of coronavirus emergency

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza has called for an end to the lockdown imposed in India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, given the threats posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Mirza was representing Pakistan at a video conference of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries held on Sunday to discuss a joint regional strategy for curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Watch the video for his statement.

11:00pm - Senator Murtaza Wahab urges citizens to enforce 'social distancing'

Senator Murtaza Wahab, who is the Sindh chief minister's adviser on law, has urged citizens to avoid congregating for large events.

Reacting to a request by "a friend" looking to hold a wedding celebration, Wahab said he was "disappointed with people still organising such events".

"Its a risk just not for them but for everyone. Anyone can be a carrier of coronavirus," he wrote.

10:53pm - Fourth coronavirus death in Greece as police arrest 96

Greece announced a new coronavirus death on Sunday, the country's youngest fatality, bringing the toll to four, while police arrested dozens of citizens who defied a lockdown.

The 53-year-old man, who had been in intensive care, died early on Sunday, the director of the AHEPA Hospital, Panagiotis Panteliadis told the Athens News Agency.

The man had been working in a medical laboratory.

On Saturday, a 67-year-old man died on Zakynthos island and a 90-year-old man died in the northern city of Ptolemaida.

The first fatality had been a 66-year-old man in Patras on Thursday.

All had existing health problems.

Greek authorities on Sunday said that an additional 103 patients had been infected by the new coronavirus, raising the total to 331.

10:40pm - Italy hits one-day record with 368 new coronavirus deaths: official data

09:54pm - Punjab govt spokesperson shares video of isolation ward at Lahore's Mayo Hospital

09:35pm - VIDEO: NDMA staff disinfect Iqbal International Airport in Lahore

09:13pm - Total number of cases in Pakistan stand at 52:  Dr Zafar Mirza

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza has confirmed the country's total number of cases, saying that the toll stands at 52.

Dr Mirza said that the country's diagnostic capacity has been ramped up and now 13 labs can carry out screening tests for COVID-19.

08:40pm - Saudi port authority bans entry of ships from affected countries

The Saudi port authority has placed restrictions on ships arriving from affected countries.

This means that carrier from countries including Pakistan will no longer be accepted by the authority.

It said, however, that cargo containing ships will be exempted from the new restrictions.

08:30pm - Germany to close borders with France, Austria, Switzerland: source close to matter

Germany will close its borders with France, Austria and Switzerland from Monday morning due to the coronavirus crisis, a source close to the matter told AFP on Sunday, confirming a report in German media.

The popular tabloid Bild had reported that the closures would take effect at 8:00am (0700 GMT) on Monday, and claimed that goods and cross-border commuters would be exempt.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer met with state premiers from affected German regions on Sunday to agree the closures, the newspaper claimed.

The politicians aimed not only to slow the spread of the coronavirus, but also to curtail cross-border panic-buying, the report added.

While the German measures currently only apply to three countries, other neighbouring countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic and Denmark have also closed their borders or introduced severe restrictions.

8:12pm - Israel's Netanyahu undergoes coronavirus test

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was tested for coronavirus as a precautionary measure, his office said on Sunday.

Netanyahu was asymptomatic before undergoing the test, which was also administered to officials working close to him, his office said in a statement.

8:10pm - Karachi’s Civil hospital to start coronavirus testing from next week

Sindh's largest public sector hospital, Civil Hospital Karachi would be able to start testing COVID-19 from next week after the National Institute of Health hands over testing kits to it in a couple of days, officials confirmed on Sunday.

"One of our leading pathologists has completed training on testing COVID-19 from NIH, Islamabad and now we are awaiting kits from them to start testing coronavirus at CHK lab in Karachi", an official of Sindh health department told The News on Sunday.

8:05pm - Singapore reports 14 new cases

Singapore on Sunday confirmed 14 new cases of the novel coronavirus, its health ministry said, marking the biggest daily increase of the infection in the city-state.

Singapore has confirmed a total 226 cases of the virus so far, with 105 having fully recovered. Nine of the cases confirmed on Sunday are imported.

7:55pm - Pharmacy owner arrested in Karachi

Karachi police on Sunday raided a pharmacy in a shopping mall in the city’s Clifton area and arrested the owner for selling hand sanitizers above its usual price.

The police have registered a case against the shopkeeper.

7:50pm - CM Sindh directs health secretary to purchase ventilators for JPMC

Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah ordered the provincial health secretary to purchase more ventilators for the isolation centre set up in Karachi’s Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

The CM issued the orders after JPMC Executive director Seemi Jamali complained about a lack of ventilators at the hospital.

Murad also directed Commissioner Karachi to convert the labour department apartments as isolation centres in the port city. He also directed officials to set up the labour department apartments in Nooriabad, Kotri, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad as isolation centres.

7:40pm Recession risk calls for joint response: UN chief

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Sunday urged governments to work together to stop the coronavirus pandemic from plunging the global economy into recession.

"No country can face it alone," the secretary general wrote in an opinion article in the Portuguese daily Publico.

"More than ever, governments must cooperate to revitalise economies, expand public investment, promote trade and ensure that people and communities affected by the disease are supported," he said.

The virus was "infecting the global economy," he said.

The pandemic had created a "real and growing risk of a global recession," the former Portuguese premier said.

7:36pm - Britain may isolate older people

Britain will isolate older people “within weeks” and force into quarantine anyone diagnosed with coronavirus, the government said as it stepped up measures that have so far been less stringent than elsewhere in Europe.

The British Heath Secretary Matt Hancock said people aged over 70 would be shielded from the virus by self-isolating for up to four months, with an announcement “in the coming weeks”.

“We will be setting it out with more detail when it’s the right time to do so because we absolutely appreciate that that is a very big ask of the elderly and the vulnerable and it’s for their own self-protection,” he told Sky News on Sunday.

Myth-busting video by WHO

7:02pm - Most Malaysia cases linked to Islamic gathering

Malaysia said on Sunday that more than half the country’s 428 coronavirus cases were linked to an international Islamic gathering held last month.

The Southeast Asian nation announced a spike of 190 new infections over the weekend, mostly linked to a global Islamic event attended by almost 20,000 people.

"Of the 428 cases, 243 are participants from the religious event in Sri Petaling mosque," Noor Hisham Abdullah, director-general of the health ministry, told AFP.

Authorities said participants at the gathering from February 27 to March 1 came from Bangladesh, Brunei, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

---

6:53pm - Global coronavirus death toll passes 6,000

A spike in deaths from the coronavirus in Spain has pushed the global toll past 6,000, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources.

The worldwide death toll rose to 6,036, with 159,844 infections after 105 died in Spain. 

While China remains the country with the most deaths with 3,199, the pandemic is now spreading more rapidly in Europe, with 1,907 deaths in the continent's worst-hit country Italy.

6:45pm - Greece reports one more coronavirus death

Greece announced a new coronavirus death on Sunday, the country´s youngest fatality, bringing the toll to four, while police arrested citizens that defied a lockdown.

The 53-year-old man, who had been in intensive care, died early on Sunday, the director of the AHEPA Hospital, Panagiotis Panteliadis told the Athens News Agency.

Greek authorities on Saturday said that an additional 38 patients had been infected by the new coronavirus, raising the total to 228.

6:37pm - Iran shuts down holy shrine in Mashhad

The tomb of Imam Reza in Iran's holy city of Mashhad has been closed to pilgrims until further notice in line with measures to stop the new coronavirus, a spokesman said on Sunday.

"Currently, the porches of the mausoleum and generally all the covered spaces of the holy shrine are closed," the spokesman for the shrine told AFP.

6:34pm - Spain reports more than 100 deaths

Spain on Sunday reported some 2,000 new coronavirus cases and more than a hundred deaths over the last 24 hours, the latest spike in Europe's second-most affected country after Italy.

The new figures raise Spain's number of COVID-19 infections to 7,753 — and its death toll to 288 — after the government imposed a near-total nationwide lockdown, banning people from leaving home except to go to work, get medical care or buy food.

6:26pm - Sindh reports another case, nationwide tally goes to 53 

Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister on Law Murtaza Wahab announced that another case of coronavirus has tested positive in the province.

The adviser said that the patient hails from Balochistan and had reached Karachi on Saturday night.

The new case takes the provincial toll to patients to 35 out of which 2 have recovered.

6:21 - 15-day aid to be sent to Pakistani students in Wuhan

Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis announced on Sunday that it will send aid to the 1,300 Pakistani students in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

The spokesperson for the ministry announced that the 15-day aid will include food and other daily necessities.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari has said that they are in touch with the Chinese government regarding the students stuck in China.

6:14pm - KP shuts down parks and public space

Special Assistant to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM for local government Kamran Khan Bangash announced that the KP government has ordered a temporary closure of parks and public places across the province to avoid unnecessary public interaction.

“Public's safety is our priority at the moment and we expect the public to stay careful. Together we can defeat the virus,” tweeted Kamran Khan Bangash.

6:09pm - Dr Zafar Mirza briefs SAARC nations

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza told the SAARC nations on Sunday that Pakistan is placing measures against the coronavirus with the help of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Dr Mirza briefed the SAARC nations in a videoconference held to discuss a strategy to fight coronavirus.

SAPM told the SAARC nations that WHO has commended Pakistan for the precautions taken to handle the spread of the virus. He added that Prime Minister Imran Khan is monitoring the situation personally 

5:51pm - Punjab reports first case, nationwide tally goes to 52

Punjab reported its first coronavirus case taking the total toll of the cases in the country to 52.

According to the Punjab government spokesperson a 54-year-old patient was tested positive in Lahore’s Mayo hospital. It is the first case reported in Punjab, so far

“All of his close contacts are tested negative but they will be kept in isolation for 15 days as per SOPs,” said Musarrat Cheema.

5:38pm - Sindh reports 13 new cases, tally crosses 50

The total tally of croronavirus cases in Pakistan crossed 50 after Sindh government reported that 13 pilgrims from Iran, who were isolated in Sukkur, have been tested positive.

Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister on Law Murtaza Wahab announced that 13 pilgrims from Iran that were quarantined upon their arrival in Sukkur have been tested positive for the coronavirus.

“So far 13 people have tested positive of #COVID-19 from amongst the people who arrived in Sukkur from Taftan,” said Wahab. He added that those who were tested positive were “purportedly” kept in quarantine at the Pakistan-Iran border.

The total number of confirmed cases in Sindh now stands at 34.

5:16pm - JI postpones all political activities 

Jamaat-e-Islami spokesperson announced that it is suspending all its large gatherings, rallies and other political activities.

The spokesperson also announced that the JI chief Siraj-ul-Haq’s five-day trip to Sindh has also been called off due to the coronavirus.

5:08pm - Austria bans gatherings of more than five people

Austria tightened restrictions on public life on Sunday, banning gatherings of more than five people and restricting any movement to that which is absolute necessary, saying police would enforce the rules in a bid to halt the spread of coronvirus.

The tougher measures were decided at an extraordinary session of parliament, during which Chancellor Sebastian Kurz called on the population to self-isolate, only move out of doors when absolutely necessary and limit contacts to "the people they live with".

4:00pm - Sindh reports four new cases, Pakistan tally reaches 38

The Sindh Health Department on Sunday reported four new cases of coronavirus in Karachi.

According to the provincial health department, the three patients had recently returned from Saudi Arabia and had tested positive today while the other had no recent history of recent travel.

“This brings the total number of cases to 21 in Sindh out of which two have recovered and sent home and 19 are under treatment,” the provincial health department added. 

3:45pm - Iran's death toll from coronavirus reaches 724

Iran's death toll from the new coronavirus has reached 724, with 113 new deaths in the past 24 hours, an Iranian health official tweeted on Sunday, adding that some 13,938 people have been infected across the country.

"In the past 24 hours, 1,209 new cases have been confirmed ... with 113 deaths in the past 24 hours, the death toll has reached 724," Alireza Vahabzadeh, an adviser to Iran's health minister, tweeted.

#SafeHandsChallenge

3:30pm - Saudi Arabia allows PIA to bring back pilgrims: sources

Saudi Arabia on Sunday allowed the Pakistan International Airlines to bring back thousands of pilgrims on special request of the Pakistani authorities, sources said.

According to sources, the special permission was granted to the national carrier for just 72 hours.

A day earlier, Saudi Arabia had announced to suspend international flights for two weeks from Sunday to slow down the spread of the coronavirus.

3:00pm - China to send all international arrivals to quarantine facilities

Beijing authorities will send all international arrivals in the Chinese capital to quarantine facilities starting Monday, state media reported, as China steps up measures against imported coronavirus cases.

People arriving from abroad had previously been allowed to undergo the mandatory two-week quarantine at home, but now only those in "special circumstances" will be exempted from being sent to facilities where they must pay for their stay, Beijing Daily reported Sunday.

2:40pm - Vatican cancels public participation at pope's Easter events

Pope Francis' Holy Week and Easter services will be held without the public attending because of the coronavirus outbreak.

A note on the website of the Vatican department said that until Easter Sunday on April 12, his general audiences and Sunday blessings would continue to be seen over the internet and television without public participation.

The exclusion of the public from the pope's general audiences and Sunday blessings previously had been expected to continue only until March 18.

Italy, which has been in a national lockdown for a week, has been hit harder that any other European nation. The country's death toll rose to 1,441 on Saturday and the total number of cases rose to 21,157 from 17,660.

2:35pm- Kazakhstan declares emergency 

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared a state of emergency on Sunday due to the coronavirus outbreak in the Central Asian nation.

The decree published by the president's office restricts entry to and departure from Kazakhstan for everyone except diplomats and those invited by the government. It also introduced a nationwide quarantine.

2:30pm- Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of Rock shut 

Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock will shut their doors as a precaution against coronavirus, authorities said on Sunday, while outdoor prayers will still be allowed.

“The Islamic Waqf department decided to shut down the enclosed prayer places inside the blessed Aqsa mosque until further notice as a protective measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus. All prayers will be held in the open areas of the Aqsa mosque,” the director of Al-Aqsa mosque, Omar Kiswani told Reuters.

Lahore airport using biodegradable VIROX Technology to kill microbes 

2:00pm - Confirmed cases tally rise to 34 in Pakistan

The number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan rose to 34 after one more case was conformed in Islamabad on Sunday.

The husband of the woman who had been admitted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) after showing symptoms of the virus has also been reported to have contracted the virus.

According to PIMS officials, the couple has been kept in separate isolation wards.

PIMS officials said the number of patients under treatment at the hospital is now four.

According to the National Institute of Health, there are 17 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Sindh with two patients recovering and 15 under treatment.

Balochistan has reported 10 cases, while four cases have been reported in Islamabad and three in Gilgit-Baltistan.

1:45pm - Seychelles confirms first cases of coronavirus

Seychelles has confirmed its first two cases of coronavirus, which has now hit 25 countries in Africa, largely spared by the pandemic until recently.

Public Health Commissioner Jude Gedeon announced late on Saturday that two citizens returning from Italy on March 11 had tested positive for the virus.

1:30pm - Karachi Kings Mitchell McClenaghan flies home

Karachi Kings have announced that Mitchell McClenaghan will be leaving the squad and returning to New Zealand after the country announced a travel ban. 

12:35pm - With national harmony and solidarity, we can win war against virus: Awan

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan on Sunday said the government has taken concrete steps to overcome coronavirus in the country.

Prime Minister Imran Khan is personally supervising the operations in this regard, she said.

Awan said these measures are also being acknowledged by World Health Organization as endorsed by its country representative.

Firdous Ashiq Awan expressed positivism that the virus will be defeated with national harmony and solidarity. She said it is difficult time but our nation will come out of it successfully.

She urged people to follow the precautionary measures as adopted by nations that are economically developed and medically advanced.

12:00pm - Punjab CM directs to facilitate pilgrims from other provinces

Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar on Sunday directed authorities to provide all possible facilities to the pilgrims coming from other provinces.

Commissioners and deputy commissioners should themselves supervise the operations, Buzdar said.

The pilgrims should not face any difficulty, the chief minister added. 

11:45am- KP establishes helpline

The Khyber Pakhtwnkha government has established a helpline to deal with the coronavirus epidemic in the province.

Speaking to media on Sunday, KP Adviser on Information Ajmal Wazir said all the relevant provincial departments have stepped up efforts to fight the virus.

“The government has established a helpline 1700,” he added.

Wazir added that all pilgrims coming from Balochistan will be tested for coronavirus.

“People need to take precautionary measures to avoid contracting the disease,” he added. 

11:30am - Indonesia reports 21 new coronavirus cases, total at 117

Indonesia reported 21 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 117, CNN Indonesia reported on Sunday, citing health ministry official Achmad Yurianto.

Of the new cases, 19 were detected in Jakarta and two in the Central Java province, Yurianto reportedly said.

11:00am - Uzbekistan confirms first coronavirus case

An Uzbek citizen has tested positive for coronavirus after returning from France, Uzbekistan's Healthcare Ministry said on Sunday., marking the first infection from the virus. 

10:45am - Data Darbar to hold special prayers

Data Darbar Mosque in Lahore will hold special prayers today amid the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

The number of confirmed cases in Pakistan rose to 31 on Saturday after three new cases were reported; one from Islamabad and two from Karachi.

Karachi has been the worst affected city so far, with 17 of the total confirmed cases. Of the remaining, five cases have been reported in Gilgit-Baltistan and one case has been reported each in Hyderabad and Quetta. Seven other cases were reported at the Taftan border on Friday.

10:30am- Australia to impose 14-day self-isolation for all international arrivals

Australia will impose 14-day self-isolation on international travellers arriving from midnight Sunday and ban cruise ships from foreign ports for 30 days, mirroring restrictions in nearby New Zealand aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

"To help stay ahead of this curve, we will impose a universal precautionary self-isolation requirement on all international arrivals to Australia and that is effective from midnight tonight," Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison Morrison told a news conference.

"Further the Australian government will also ban cruise ships from foreign ports from arriving at Australian ports for an initial 30 days."

The new border restrictions come as Australia recorded more than 250 cases of coronavirus and three deaths.

Myth buster: Six claims about coronavirus

10:15am - 18 pilgrims from Iran reach DI Khan

Eighteen pilgrims arrived in Dera Ismail Khan from Iran, KP’s focal province said on Sunday.

“Pilgrims have been shifted to a quarantine centre in Darazinda,” the focal person said, adding all the pilgrims will undergo screening.  

10:00am - Pakistan-Bangladesh series to be postponed: sources

Pakistan’s remaining second Test and only one-day international against Bangladesh is expected to postponed, sources said on Sunday.

According to sources, the Pakistan Cricket Board is expected to announce its decision regarding the Pakistan-Bangladesh series today along with the postponement of the Pakistan One-Day Cup. 

9:45am - India to close borders with Pakistan

The Indian interior ministry on Sunday announced it was closing all its borders with Pakistan.

According to a tweet by the Indian Home Ministry spoeksperson, the move will go into effect from tonight.  

"In the wake of COVID19 outbreak, as a preacutionary measure to contain and control spread of the disease, the travel and registration for Kartarpur Sahib is temporarily suspended from 0000hrs, March 16, 2020, till further orders," the tweet said.

9:30am - 2,300 pilgrims from Iran in isolation centres: Levis officials

Levis officials on Sunday said 2,300 pilgrims from Iran were in quarantine centre at the Taftan border.

“Three suspected cases have been shifted to Quetta,” the official said, adding that immigration office will remain open today.

“Immigration office will close from tomorrow,” the official added. 

9:00am - Japan coronavirus infections rise to 1,484

The number of coronavirus infections in Japan rose to 1,484 on Sunday, increasing by a faster pace than the previous day, public broadcaster NHK reported.

According to Reuters, the total number of infections includes 697 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship and 14 returnees on charter flights from China.

Deaths in the country related to the virus stand at 29, up one from the previous day. The total number of deaths include 7 from the cruise ship.

8:45am: Spain goes under lockdown

Spain on Saturday followed Italy and imposed a near-total nationwide lockdown to fight the spread of coronavirus by banning people from leaving home except to go to work, get medical care or buy food.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the restrictions on movement following a huge spike in the number of infections in this nation of some 46 million people.

They are among the measures introduced as part of a 15-day state of emergency officially declared by his government on Saturday.

8:40am- France imposes tight restrictions as infections

France has imposed sweeping restrictions to fight the spread of coronavirus that has infected more than 150,000 people worldwide.

France ordered the closure of restaurants, bars, cinemas and nightclubs but said food shops, pharmacies, banks and tobacconists would remain open and local elections will go ahead on Sunday.

8:30am- Trump not infected with coronavirus, says his physician

President Donald Trump has tested negative for the novel coronavirus, his physician said Saturday, following concerns over his exposure to a disease that has paralyzed the globe.

Trump agreed to the test after coming in contact with several members of a Brazilian presidential delegation visiting his Florida resort who have since tested positive for the virus.

"This evening I received confirmation that the test is negative," the president´s physician Sean Conley said in a memo.

"One week after having dinner with the Brazilian delegation at Mar-a-Lago, the President remains symptom-free," he said.

8:15am - Estonia, Lithuania shut borders to foreign visitors

Estonia and Lithuania said Saturday they will shut their borders to most foreign visitors while fellow Baltic EU member Latvia imposed security measures of its own to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

"The government has decided to temporarily reintroduce border controls on the whole border," Estonian prime minister said in a government statement.

The measure will apply starting Tuesday in the country of 1.3 million people which has registered 115 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

For March 14 coverage of coronavirus click here. 

For March 13 coverage of coronavirus click here. 

For March 12 coverage of coronavirus click here. 

For March 11 coverage of coronavirus click here. 

For March 10 coverage of coronavirus click here.