European firms hit by coronavirus may be able to access huge loans backed by the EU and large banks, according to a report.

Reuters cited people familiar with the matter as saying the scheme was due to be signed off within days.
 

A Barclays employee at the bank’s Canary Wharf office has tested positive for Covid-19, forcing it to close and deep clean the site. The person has been in self-isolation since Monday, the company said.

Ireland is entering “a new phase” of its coronavirus outbreak, the health service executive (HSE) has said.

Paul Reid, the HSE head, did not give further details about what he meant when he tweeted the message.

He said:  “We are entering a new phase in #Covid19. I fully support our hospitals who have to make decisions on restricting visitors based on clinical risk, patient and public safety. Please do as we urge and our ask will increase as we progress.”

The republic is currently in containment mode, with 52 cases overall. Ministers have urged companies to continue to pay workers who have to enter self-isolation.

One person has died.

The number of cases in Qatar has rocketed with 238 new infections reported on Wednesday, according to the state news agency.

Sweden has reported its first death from coronavirus, at a Stockholm hospital. The victim had other health problems, doctors said.

Action has finally been forced. The postponement of Manchester City versus Arsenal marks the first time the Covid-19 outbreak has impacted the Premier League, raising all manner of questions about what happens next, and potentially so many knock-on consequences, writes Miguel Delaney.

The most immediate of those questions regards the fixture list, but it is not the most pertinent. There is also the issue of the people and players Arsenal themselves came into contact with in the 13 days since they met Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis.

The US is waiving minimum flight requirements for airlines due to a reduction in demand spurred by coronavirus – following in the footsteps of the EU.

Airlines can lose their slots at the busiest airports if they don’t use them at least 80 percent of the time.

Federal Aviation Administration said it would waive the requirements for US and foreign airlines, and expected that American carriers would be accommodated with reciprocal relief by foreign authorities.

Here’s the latest advice on visiting Cyprus, via our travel team:
 

As the world heads towards a coronavirus pandemic, mass panic is setting in. With 24-hour news reporting continually on the rising number of cases, ascertaining exactly how worried we should be has become impossible – particularly for children, writes Nicky Cox.

As editor of a children’s newspaper, I hear from many 8-14-year-olds feeling worried about the situation. They have many questions – and look to adults for answers. But how best to deliver them when we ourselves are unsure what we are dealing with?
 

Norway has postponed a Nato drill in its Arctic territory because of coronavirus, the country’s army has said.

Some 14,000 soldiers from 10 countries were due to take part in the cold response exercise near the border with Russia.

The manoeuvres were due to take place between 2 and 18 March and were set to reach their most intense battlefield phase on Thursday.

Lieutenant General Rune Jakobsen said: “We wish to preserve our ability to operate effectively.”

A total of 277 cases of coronavirus have so far been identified in Norway, and the spread is now no longer always traceable to foreign travel, according to the Nordic country’s Institute of Public Health.

Last Thursday, a military camp at the centre of the NATO exercise was quarantined after one of the soldiers was diagnosed with coronavirus. 

Kiev has decided to ban mass gatherings and close schools in Ukraine for three weeks.

Some sporting events may go ahead but spectators will not be allowed to attend.

The Bank of England announced a surprise 0.5 per cent cut to its main interest rate on Wednesday, ahead of a Budget that is expected to contain further measures to help support the economy through the coronavirus outbreak, write Ben Chapman and Kate Hughes.

But how will the rate cut affect your personal finances, particularly if you have a mortgage?
 

The Foreign Office has urged Britons in Italy to leave “as soon as possible” as airlines cancel flights amid Europe’s worst coronavirus outbreak.

On its website, the department said: “British nationals remain able to depart Italy without restriction. Airports remain open throughout Italy.

“However, the Italian authorities have advised against travel for tourism purposes throughout Italy, and that tourists already on holiday in Italy should end their travel, unless it is necessary, to return to the place where they live.

“Airline schedules are subject to change and some flights are being cancelled. We therefore advise all remaining British tourists in Italy to contact their airline operators to arrange return to the UK as soon as possible.”

Japan’s response to coronavirus shows it can still be “paralyzed” in crisis moments, the lead Fukushima nuclear accident investigator has claimed.

Kiyoshi Kurokawa, whose commission determined that the 2011 disaster, triggered by a massive earthquake, was man-made and down to regulatory failures and a poor government response.

Now, Mr Kurokawa has said he sees a similarly hamstrung bureaucracy. He told Reuters: “Unless it’s written in law, their brains are paralyzed when something happens.”

The country must ramp up its testing regime, he added, and count the cost later. Tokyo’s health ministry has built up its testing capacity to more than 6,000 daily but is averaging only about 900 exams per day.

By contrast, South Korea, with at least 7,755 known infections and 63 deaths, has implemented drive-through exams and tested about 200,000 people related to an outbreak at a church.
 

Top American health officials are being summoned to an emergency meeting at the White House, congresswoman Carolyn Maloney has said.

They include National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention director Robert Redfield.

A cruise ship with more than 3,000 people aboard is being held in the Belgian port of Zeebrugge due to suspected coronavirus cases.

The news comes after Belgium reported its first death from Covid-19.

Carl Decaluwe, governor of West Flanders province, banned people from leaving the vessel because two passengers had been in contact with an infected person and were now in quarantine.

Doctors needed to assess whether it was safe to let the passengers disembark, he added.

The Italian-flagged Aidamar, with some 2,500 passengers and 640 crew, had entered Zeebrugge early on Wednesday.

The liner, owned by Carnival Corp, runs a seven-day cruise taking in Hamburg, Southampton, Le Havre, Zeebrugge and Rotterdam, with mostly German passengers.

Here’s our main story which health correspondent Shaun Lintern will be updating.
 

The UK now has 456 cases of coronavirus, the Department of Health has said.

In total, 27,476 people have been tested. The death toll within the UK remains at six.

The coronavirus outbreak has put Britain’s meagre sick pay rates in the spotlight, with figures showing they are among the lowest in Europe, writes Jon Stone.

The latest figures published by the European Commission show the UK second from bottom in the league table of member states, with only Malta providing a lower level of support to ill workers.

Britain’s statutory sick pay rate is just £94.25 a week, on average covering just 20 per cent of a worker’s income.