Coronavirus: Italy escalates response as virus spreads

The UK is “well prepared” and in a “strong” economic position to tackle the coronavirus, the country’s Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said.

Speaking to Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Mr Sunak said the government is poised to give the NHS “whatever it needs”.

So far, there have been 206 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK.

Touching upon the effects the outbreak could have on public services, as well as businesses, Mr Sunak said that the UK government is working to “make sure that we have the interventions required to help anyone through a difficult period”.

Mr Sunak is due to address the outbreak in his first Budget on Wednesday.

The death toll from the collapsed hotel in the Chinese city of Quanzhou has risen to 10, state media report.

The five-storey hotel in the south-eastern coastal city was being used to quarantine those suspected of having the coronavirus. About 70 people were trapped in the rubble and more than 20 remain unaccounted for.

The building’s owner has been summoned by police, state media added.

Colombia, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Malta, the Maldives and Paraguay have all reported their first cases of the virus.

In Bulgaria, the centre for infectious diseases said two men from the northern city of Pleven and two women from the central city of Gabrovo had tested positive.

Paraguay said a 32-year-old man who arrived from Ecuador was its first Covid-19 patient.

More now on the cruise ship Grand Princess. California Governor Gavin Newsom gave permission for the ship to dock to

the port city of Oakland later on Sunday, US media report.

Princess Cruises said “guests who require acute medical treatment” and hospital treatment would disembark first and be taken to “medical facilities in California”.

Congressman Joaquin Castro said he understood some would be taken to Lackland Air Force Base near San Antonio, Texas.

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the coronavirus outbreak around the world.

The

headlines so far are:

• Italy has placed strict travel restrictions on the region of Lombardy and 14 other provinces in a bid to

  control the spread of the virus. Other drastic measures have been announced for the rest of the country

  including the closure of schools, museums, theatres and cinemas and the suspension of weddings and

  funerals. We have more details here

• A cruise ship quarantined off the coast of San Francisco because of an outbreak of coronavirus has been

  given permission to dock in nearby Oakland. All 3,533 passengers and crew are to be tested. So far 21 out of 45 people tested on board have the virus

• China has reported its lowest daily number of new coronavirus infections since January – an indication

  that the spread there is slowing

• At least six people have died following the collapse of a five-storey hotel in China’s south-eastern

  coastal city of Quanzhou. The hotel was being used to quarantine people suspected of having coronavirus