What are European countries doing?

Europe is now the global epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, and so many nations are taking drastic measures to try and fight its spread.

Here’s a brief summary of what they’ve been doing:

Austria has banned gatherings of more than five people, has expanded the list of countries it restricts entry to, and has closed schools and most shops
People in Spain have been told not to leave home, except for buying essential supplies and medicines, or for work
Romania is about to declare a state of emergency
The Czech Republic is likely to declare a quarantine for the entire country, and has already closed its borders
Slovakia has also shut its borders
Italy, the worst-hit country in Europe, began a nationwide lockdown on Monday
France has shut all schools, cafes, restaurants, cinemas, nightclubs and non-essential businesses – but its local elections are still going ahead
The UK has postponed its local elections, which were meant to take place in May, for a year – so they’ll now be held in 2021. The British government is also planning to ask everyone over the age of 70 to self-isolate in the coming weeks