The coronavirus outbreak has been labelled a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the number of cases outside China had increased 13-fold in two weeks. He said he was “deeply concerned” by “alarming levels of inaction”.

A pandemic is a disease that is spreading in multiple countries around the world at the same time. Hours later Italy said all shops except food shops and pharmacies would close.