Coronavirus outbreak: Threat of pandemic now very real, says WHO

9,172 people have now been tested positive for coronavirus in Italy

Italy's top sports body on Monday called for all sports events to be blocked until April 3, and asked the government to issue a decree to enforce the measure as the country fights with the worst coronavirus outbreak in Europe.

UN economists warned on Monday that the raging outbreak of the deadly new coronavirus could cost the global economy between $1.0 and $2.0 trillion this year and called on governments to ramp up spending to mitigate its impact. Read more

The World Health Organisation warned on Monday there was now a "very real" threat that the global outbreak of the new deadly coronavirus will become a pandemic, but stressed the virus could still be controlled. "The threat of a pandemic has become very real," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters, while stressing that "it would be the first pandemic in history that can be controlled... we are not at the mercy of the virus".

US President Donald Trump will meet with US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and other economic officials later on Monday to weigh possible actions to stem the fallout over the coronavirus, an administration official told Reuters. Read more

From Tuesday, people flying in from Italy and South Korea or flying in after having visited these two countries will need a medical certificate saying they are corona-free to enter India. Read more

Cyprus on Monday reported its first two confirmed cases of coronavirus, a man who recently travelled from northern Italy and a health professional who had recently travelled back from Britain.

With the mercury decreasing over the last few days and fear of coronavirus looming, experts have said there is no established correlation between the variations in temperature and spread of COVID-19. Read more

Air India on Monday permitted one free change to passengers to postpone any international or domestic booking for a limited period due to coronavirus. Read more