EU raises virus risk level as world cases grow

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has launched a “coronavirus response team”, in an attempt to stem the spread of the disease across Europe.

She also said the EU had raised its coronavirus risk level from “moderate” to “high”.

“The ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) has announced today that the risk level has risen from ‘moderate’ to ‘high’ for people in the European Union,” she told reporters in Brussels.

“In other words, the virus continues to spread.”

She said they had spent the last eight works working “intensively” to find ways to combat the virus.

EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said 38 EU citizens had died, and that there were now 2,100 confirmed cases of coronavirus in 18 of the bloc’s 27 member states.

Ocado, a British online supermarket, has advised its customers to place orders earlier due to “exceptionally high demand”.

It comes amid reports of shoppers bulk buying food products in anticipation of the coronavirus outbreak worsening.

In an email sent to customers on Friday, Ocado advised its customers to order two or three days before, saying: “More people than usual seem to be placing particularly large orders. As a result, delivery slots are selling out quicker than expected.”

It comes as Britain announced more coronavirus cases on Sunday, taking the total number of those infected to 36.

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German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has been seen refusing a handshake from Angela Merkel.

When the Chancellor extended her hand to him at a meeting on migration, he waved her away – prompting laughter from the room. Ms Merkel then held her hands up and said: “That was right to do.”

The number of confirmed cases in Germany jumped to 150 today, after doubling to 129 on Sunday, the Robert Koch Institute for Disease Control said.

Mr Seehofer previously told reporters he had stopped offering handshakes amid the outbreak.

Ecuador has confirmed five additional cases of the new coronavirus, bringing the number of cases in the country to six, Health Minister Catalina Andramuño said.

The five people newly infected with the virus had all had direct contact with an elderly woman who was the first to be diagnosed in the country.

The woman, an Ecuadorean citizen who lives in Spain, flew to Ecuador from Madrid without presenting symptoms.

The elderly woman remains in a critical condition, in quarantine and under observation.

She started to feel ill shortly after her arrival and was sent to one of the public hospitals equipped to deal with the virus.

Ms Andramuño said those newly infected had “mild symptoms” and that a further 177 people who may have come into contact with her are being monitored by authorities.

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Meanwhile in Southampton, UK, people have been warned not to touch pop singer Peter Andre.

Signs were apparently put up outside a Q&A event with the singer, warning people not to “have any physical contact” with him – including taking selfies – because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

“Due to the recent cases of the coronavirus please DO NOT have any physical contact with Peter Andre,” the sign, republished by The Sun newspaper, said.

“Please DO NOT take any selfies with Peter Andre. Apologies for any inconvenience.”

Andre later denied being behind the signs, saying that he “hugged everyone I met”.

However, he did say fans had mentioned being told not to touch him.

“People were saying to me that they had been told not to touch me and that there were signs,” he tweeted. “I thought they were joking. Brilliant.”

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The world economy faces its worst downturn since the global financial crisis as coronavirus continues to spread, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

There have been almost 90,000 confirmed cases worldwide, with the numbers outside China now growing faster than inside China.

The OECD said governments and central banks must fight back in order to avoid an even steeper decline.

It said the global economy was set to grow only 2.4% this year, down from a forecast of 2.9% in November and the lowest since 2009.

It says it could recover to 3.3% growth in 2021 if the epidemic peaked in China in the first quarter of the year and other outbreaks are contained.

But the Paris-based policy forum warned that if the virus spreads throughout Asia, Europe and North America, global growth could drop to 1.5%

An official from the council that advises Iran’s supreme leader has died of the coronavirus, Iranian state radio reports.

Mohammad Mirmohammadi was a member of the Expediency Council, the Associated Press says.

He is the first senior official to die from the virus, but several others have also tested positive.

Iran has the highest death toll in the world outside China.

In a statement on state TV, Iran’s Health Minister Alireza Raisi said that 66 people have now died.

“The definite latest numbers we have are 523 new infections and 12 new deaths, so the total number of those infected is 1,501 until now and the number of deaths is 66,” he said.

He added that 291 patients have fully recovered.

But sources in Iran’s health system told BBC Persian last week that at least 210 people had died of the virus.

Most victims are from the capital Tehran, and the city of Qom, where cases first emerged.

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The first two cases of the coronavirus have been registered in Portugal, according to local reports.

One of the men diagnosed had recently travelled to Italy and the other man had returned from Spain.

Both have been taken to hospital in Porto.

It comes after a Chilean writer, Luis Sepulveda, started showing symptoms of the virus on 25 February – after he had returned to his home in Spain’s Asturias region from a literary festival in Portugal.

The regional Asturias government did not identify the man but said in a statement on Saturday that the 70-year-old is stable.

His wife is also being tested after displaying symptoms.

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Israel is holding a general election today, and dedicated polling stations have been set up for people under quarantine from the coronavirus.

Paramedics in head-to-toe protective gear have been seen guarding tents across the country, as people in face masks and gloves left home isolation in order to vote.

Election officials are there too – sitting on the other side of a see-through plastic barrier.

So far 10 Israelis have tested positive for the virus, and about 5,500 others are under home quarantine, the country’s health ministry says.

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This is Israel’s third election in less than a year, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking re-election.

But this vote, like the others, is predicted to end in another deadlock.

Neither Mr Netanyahu nor his main challenger, Benny Gantz, were able to put together majority coalitions following the last two elections.

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Organisers for Australia’s Grand Prix say the opening round of the Formula One season will go ahead.

F1 personnel are set to travel to Melbourne at the end of this week ahead of the event which is due to take place on 15 March.

The Chief Executive of the Australian Grand Prix, Andrew Westacott said: “We are all systems go.

“At this stage there is no indication of further travel bans, nor is there any indication that Formula One and the teams will not be arriving as usual.”

It comes as Sampdoria’s match against Hellas Verona became the sixth game in Italy’s Serie A this week to be postponed because of coronavirus.

The opening race of the MotoGP season, which is the Grand Prix of Qatar has been cancelled after travel restrictions were imposed.

Travellers who arrive in Doha on direct flights from Italy, or those who have been in the country in the past two weeks, will be quarantined for 14 days.

The second race in Thailand has been postponed indefinitely.

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As more and more people are infected with the virus, you may be wondering how you can tell if you have it.

The symptoms of Covid-19 are similar to those of a cold or flu. It seems to start with a fever, and is then followed by a dry cough. After a week it leads to shortness of breath.

The incubation period – between being infected and showing symptoms – is up to 14 days, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). However some researchers say it could be as long as 24 days.

Chinese scientists say some people may be infectious even before their symptoms appear.

Based on data from 44,000 patients with this coronavirus, the WHO says:

• 81% develop mild symptoms
• 14% develop severe symptoms
• 5% become critically ill
• Between 1% and 2% die from the disease

Read more about the symptoms here.

Iceland has confirmed its first three cases of people infected with coronavirus.

In a statement released late on Sunday, the country’s Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management said one patient was diagnosed on Friday, while the other two were confirmed over the weekend.

All three patients had recently been on holiday to northern Italy – the worst-hit country in Europe – the statement added.

Andorra also confirmed its first case – a 20-year-old man with mild symptoms who had also been to Italy.

The man recently went to Milan, the Andorran government said, and was hospitalised on Saturday. His immediate circle is now going to be monitored.

Two more people have tested positive for coronavirus in India.

In a statement, the country’s health ministry said one case was detected in Delhi, the capital’s first, while the other was in the southern state of Telangana.

It comes after three people were diagnosed with the virus in Kerala.

The person from Delhi has a travel history from Italy, while the one from Telangana has a travel history from Dubai, according to the government.

Both patients are believed to be stable and are being closely monitored.

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A secondary school in south-west London has been closed for a week, after a staff member tested positive for Covid-19.

In a letter sent out to parents, Wimbledon College boys’ school said the member of staff had recently travelled to Italy.

“The staff member was last in school on the morning of 25 February and has not had contact with pupils since the beginning of this half term,” the letter said.

“However, as some staff members are now classed as close contacts of a confirmed case of Covid-19 they are required to self-isolate as a precautionary measure for 14 days.”

They plan to reopen the school on 10 March, it added.