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