South Korea, once the largest coronavirus outbreak outside China, has seen its newly recovered patients exceed fresh infections for the first time on Friday, as it reported its lowest number of new cases for three weeks.
However, the death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has jumped in the last 24 hours by 189 to 1,016, a rise of 23 percent, the country's Civil Protection Agency said on Thursday.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a pandemic as Italy tightened its strict quarantine and the United States imposed a ban on flights to Europe.
More than 4,900 people have died and over 132,000 have been infected globally, according to the WHO. About 68,000 victims have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the virus.
The escalating coronavirus emergency has sent stocks crashing to their worst losses in 30 years.
Here are the latest updates:
Friday, March 13
09:42 GMT - Airline SAS to cut, suspend US flights
SAS said it would cut flights to some US destinations and suspend traffic to others in the wake of new US travel restrictions over the coronavirus from March 14.
From March 14, SAS will operate a reduced schedule on routes between Copenhagen and Chicago and New York and between Stockholm and New York, it said.
Flights between Copenhagen and San Francisco will operate according to schedule until March 17 and the airline's flights to other US destinations will be suspended from March 15 until March 31.
09:40 GMT - Bulgaria declares state of emergency over coronavirus
The Bulgarian parliament voted unanimously to declare a state of emergency until April 13 to contain the spread of coronavirus after the number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 23.
The state of emergency will allow for travel bans to and from countries with large coronavirus outbreaks, the closing of schools and universities, and permit police to intervene when imposed isolation of infected people is not observed.
The government also plans a revision of the 2020 state budget to allocate more funds to support the healthcare system, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov told deputies.
09:34 GMT - Chelsea's Hudson-Odoi says he recovered
"I had the virus for the last couple of days, which I've recovered from," said Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi after he sent a video message out on Twitter.
Hudson-Odoi displayed cold symptoms on Monday morning and has stayed away from the club since then. His test result was returned on Thursday night.
The club said: "Chelsea personnel who had recent close contact with the player in the men's team building will now self-isolate in line with Government health guidelines. These will include initially the full men's team squad, coaching staff and a number of backroom staff."
The club said despite testing positive, the 19-year-old was "doing well and looking forward to returning to the training ground as soon as it is possible".
Thank you for all your good wishes, as I said in the video I’m feeling good and hope to see you all soon!!
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09:25 GMT - Spain: Catalonia puts four towns under quarantine
Four towns in Spain's northeastern autonomous region of Catalonia have been put under quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Read more here.
09:20 GMT - Lithuania to close all schools, universities, kindergartens
Lithuania's governement said it will close all schools, universities and kindergartens in the country for two weeks to limit the spread of the new coronavirus.
09:16 GMT - Tokyo to postpone opening ceremony of Olympic aquatics centre
The Tokyo metropolitan government said it would postpone the opening ceremony of the Olympic aquatics centre due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The opening ceremony had been planned for March 22, Tokyo said in a statement.
09:05 GMT - Cases rise in the Netherlands to 614
Dutch health authorities say the confirmed cases of the coronavirus rose to 614 in the Netherlands.
The country's Prime Minister Mark Rutte said his government will introduce new measures to trace the new coronavirus cases.
08:55 GMT - Kazakhstan confirms first coronavirus cases
Two Kazakh citizens have tested positive for coronavirus after returning from Germany, Healthcare Minister Yelzhan Birtanov said, the first cases of the disease in the Central Asian country.
The patients are staying in a specialised hospital in Almaty, Kazakhstan's biggest city, he told a briefing.
08:50 GMT - Armenia shuts educational institutions until March 23
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia would shut educational institutions immediately over coronavirus fears until March 23.
Armenia has recorded six cases of coronavirus, according to the health ministry, but 30 people who have been quarantined since March 1 will be tested again for the virus.
08:45 GMT - Wild ride: Markets recoup some losses after virus-driven rout
Asian financial markets slumped on Friday after Wall Street posted its worst single-day crash since 1987, but quickly recouped losses as policymakers ramped up efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak and its economic effects.
Read more here.
08:31 GMT - How Italy, South Korea differ in tackling coronavirus outbreak
In Italy, millions are locked down and more than 1,000 people have died from the coronavirus.
But in South Korea, which was hit by the disease at about the same time, only a few thousand are quarantined and 67 people died.
Read more here.
08:25 GMT - Czech Republic widens quarantine
The Czech government will require people returning from all high-risk countries to quarantine themselves, widening a requirement so far only applied to those returning from Italy, Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek said on Twitter.
The list named 15 high-risk countries including neighbouring Germany and Austria but also the United States and Japan.
08:10 GMT - Apple reopens all its branded stores in China
Apple Inc has reopened all 42 of its branded stores in China, more than a month after they were shut due to fears over the coronavirus outbreak, the iPhone maker's Chinese website showed.
Apple's China website has listed the opening time for all stores, which vary from 10:00 am to 11:00 am local time. The website had previously carried an advisory saying not all stores were open.
08:05 GMT - Indonesia records second death
Indonesia's President Joko Widodo says the country registered its second coronavirus-related death.
07:35 GMT - Kenya confirms first case
Kenya registered its first confirmed case of the new coronavirus, Minister of Health Mutahi Kagwe says.
The patient, who was diagnosed on the night of March 12, had travelled back to Kenya from the United States via London, Kagwe told a news conference.
07:15 GMT
Hello, I am Tamila Varshalomidze in Doha. Taking over from my colleague, I will be updating you on the coronavirus for the next few hours.
07:10 GMT - Australian home affairs minister tests positive
Peter Dutton, Australia's home affairs minister, said he entered hospital quarantine after testing positive for the new coronavirus.
"This morning I woke up with a temperature and sore throat," said the minister, a key architect of Australia's controversial immigration laws.
"It is the policy of Queensland Health that anyone who tests positive is to be admitted into hospital and I have complied with their advice."
06:30 GMT - China spokesman suggests coronavirus originated from US
Zhao Lijian, a top spokesman of the Chinese government and senior foreign ministry official, posted on social media on Friday a report published in a Canada-based conpiracy website suggesting that the coronavirus originated from the US.
"Just take a few minutes to read one more article. This is so astonishing that it changed many things I used to believe in. Please retweet to let more people know about it," Zhao wrote on Twitter.
His post accompanied an article with the headline: 'A shocking update. Did The Virus Originate in the US?'
Earlier, Zhao also posted a video of the US Congress hearing, suggesting that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was "caught on the spot" saying that "patient zero" began in the US.
05:57 GMT - Turkey confirms second coronavirus case
Turkey’s health minister has announced the country's second case of the coronavirus, which is linked to the first case.
"He is from the immediate circle of our first patient, who was followed up as soon as the diagnosis was made," Fahrettin Koca wrote on Twitter on Friday.
"We have taken the necessary measures to keep the possible spread of the virus within these limits. We will overcome this problem together," he added.
04:59 GMT - Indonesia to ban face-mask exports
Indonesia will temporarily ban the export of face masks to safeguard domestic supply amid the coronavirus outbreak, Reuters news agency reported on Friday.
"We will issue a temporary export ban for mask products to meet demand from domestic industries and consumers," Trade Minister Agus Suparmanto told reporters.
The ban will be kept in place until the government is satisfied local supply is adequate, he said.
Prices for face masks have jumped in some parts of Indonesia as buyers stock up on protective supplies such as masks and hand sanitisers due to worries about the coronavirus.
There are an estimated 34 cases in Indonesia, with one fatality and two recoveries.
04:20 GMT China's first coronavirus case traced back to November 17
The South China Morning Post reported that the first case of someone in China suffering from the coronavirus was traced back to November 17.
The Hong Kong-based newspaper and website cited government data from China.
The exclusive report said that a 55 year-old man from Hubei province may have been the first person to have contracted the deadly disease in mid-November last year.
03:35 GMT - South Korea sees more virus patients released than new infections
South Korea - once the largest coronavirus outbreak outside China - saw its newly recovered patients exceed fresh infections for the first time on Friday, as it reported its lowest number of new cases for three weeks.
The country confirmed 110 new cases on Thursday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said, taking the total to 7,979.
But 177 fully recovered patients were released the same day, it added.
South Korea has an advanced medical system widely available to all, and has embarked on a huge coronavirus testing drive.
But 177 fully recovered patients were released the same day, it added.
South Korea has an advanced medical system widely available to all, and has embarked on a huge coronavirus testing drive.
03:35 GMT - F1 cancels season-opening Australian Grand Prix
As thousands of fans queued to get into the Australian Grand Prix for the first Formula One weekend of the season, the teams and drivers were packing up to leave.
Concern over the coronavirus left organisers with little choice on Friday but to cancel the season-opening race, particularly after McLaren's withdrawal because a team member tested positive for the COVID-19 illless and following heavy criticism from six-times world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Principals of nine F1 teams and organisers met overnight and "concluded with a majority view of the teams that the race should not go ahead," a joint statement by motorsport's governing body, the organisers and F1 said.
03:19 GMT - Over 95 percent of larger Chinese firms outside Hubei resume work
China's vice industry minister Xin Guobin said on Friday the work resumption rate outside of Hubei province, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, is about 60 percent for small and medium firms and more than 95 percent for larger firms.
Xin, speaking to reporters at a State Council briefing, said China will coordinate with other countries to push forward on business resumption even as the pandemic stokes uncertainty about the return to normalcy.
The country is trying to get back to work after imposing strict restrictions on transport and people to slow the spread of infections.
03:17 GMT - Hong Kong records fourth coronavirus death
An 80-year old man became the fourth patient in Hong Kong to die due to the coronavirus, Reuters reported on Friday, quoting a Nethersole Eastern Hospital spokeswoman.
Hong Kong has so far confirmed around 130 coronavirus cases.
02:57 GMT - Filipino diplomat first known coronavirus case at UN in New York
A female diplomat from the Philippines mission to the United Nations tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday, according to a note sent to UN missions, making her the first known case at the world body's New York headquarters, Reuters reported on Friday.
"As of today, the Philippine Mission is in lockdown, and all personnel are instructed to self-quarantine and to seek medical attention should they develop the symptoms. We are assuming that all of us have been infected," wrote Philippines acting UN Ambassador Kira Azucena in a message seen by Reuters.
According to the online UN directory of diplomatic staff, there are about 12 diplomats at the Filipino mission, which is on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.
Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin posted on Twitter that the diplomat was young, spritely and "doing well," adding that she had recently returned from Florida.
The infected is doing well; she's young, spritely, smart and taking some doctor prescribed meds. Thank you. I just talked to Kira. twitter.com/michellenichol…
See Teddy Locsin Jr.'s other Tweets
02:52 GMT - China coronavirus deaths reach 3,176, infections hit 80,813
China's National Health Commission reported on Friday at least seven new coronavirus deaths as of the end of Thursday, pushing the total number nationwide to 3,176.
Beijing also reported at least eight new confirmed cases during the same period, pushing the total number of cases to 80,813.
At least 68,000 patients have reportedly recovered from the infection.
01:54 GMT Friday - Canadian PM Trudeau's wife positive of coronavirus
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife, Sophie, has tested positive for the new coronavirus, according to the prime minister's office.
Trudeau's office had earlier said that the Canadian first lady returned from a speaking engagement in Britain and had mild flu-like symptoms, including a low fever, late on Wednesday night.
The prime minister is quarantining himself at home.
Read more here.
01:37 GMT Friday - Japan says Olympics on track despite Trump's suggestion to postpone
Japan is on track to hold the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as planned, top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said on Friday, after US President Donald Trump suggested a possible delay of a year.
Suga did not confirm or deny whether Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe discussed Trump's comments in a phone call earlier on Friday.
The two leaders spoke for about 50 minutes about the coronavirus pandemic, among other topics, Suga said.
A senior government spokesman is set to brief reporters on the talks shortly.
"They did not talk about travel restrictions between Japan and the United States while I was present," he said, adding he left the talks before they ended.
00:27 GMT Friday - Saudi Arabia detects 17 cases of coronavirus, total at 62
Saudi Arabia detected 17 new cases of coronavirus, 11 of whom were Egyptians, state news agency (SPA) said on Friday.
This brings the total number of cases detected in the kingdom to 62, SPA added.
23:55 GMT Thursday - Major Mexican university to suspend classes until further notice
Mexico's Tecnologico de Monterrey university said on Thursday it would suspend all academic events and classes at its campuses from next week until further notice to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The university, one of the most important in Mexico, said in a statement the suspension would take effect from March 17. It would review the measures after the week of the "Semana Santa" Easter holidays, which ends on April 12, the university added.
Separately, Mexico's National Autonomous University (UNAM), said it would be tightening preventative measures against the spread of coronavirus, but was not suspending classes yet.
22:00 GMT Thursday - Portugal orders schools, nightclubs shut due to coronavirus
On Thursday, Portugal's government ordered the shutdown of all schools nationwide starting on Monday to contain the coronavirus epidemic until further evaluation on April 9, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said in a televised address.
He also said cruise ship passengers would not be allowed to disembark, except for those residing in Portugal. Nightclubs in the country will be shut, and there will be capacity restrictions on entry to shopping malls and restaurants.
21:55 GMT Thursday - Belgian government says schools, restaurants, clubs to close due to coronavirus
Belgium's government ordered schools, cafes, restaurants and some shops to close due to the coronavirus, following decisions by France and other European countries to limit all but essential activities.
The measures take effect from Friday at midnight central European time and run until April 3, although schools are set to be shut for five weeks, including during the Easter holidays, Belgium's caretaker Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes told a news conference.
"There is no lockdown," Wilmes told reporters, stressing that supermarkets and pharmacies would remain open and other shops would only be required to close on weekends. "We want to avoid the Italian situation and avoid lockdowns."
I'm Ted Regencia in Kuala Lumpur.
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