Coronavirus Pandemic Updates: Defence Ministry Sets Up 7 More Quarantine Facilities As Cases Rise To 74

US President Donald Trump has announced that he is suspending all travel from Europe, excluding the UK, to the US for the next 30 days to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus that has claimed 37 lives and infected 1,300 in the country.

Hollywood superstar Tom Hanks, meanwhile, has revealed that he and wife Rita Wilson have tested positive for coronavirus.

The actor couple, currently in Australia to shoot for a film, decided to get tested after they felt "a bit tired".

The coronavirus outbreak, which has claimed over 4,200 lives and infected more than 117,330 people across 107 countries and territories, can now be characterised as a pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization said.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was alarmed by the spread and severity of the outbreak, along with a lack of action taken to combat it.

Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Washington has issued an advisory on travel to India amid coronavirus spread, saying the Centre has suspended all visas with some exceptions including diplomatic and official travel.

The call came as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India rose to 60, with two fresh positive cases -- one each from Delhi and Rajasthan -- being reported.

Catch all the live updates here. 

9:20PM: The Delhi University on Thursday said any internal exam for undergraduate or postgraduate programmes has been postponed till March 31. It also suspended classes and cancelled all functions after in view of coronavirus threat.

8:57PM: "Under any scenario, the global growth in 2020 will drop below last year's level, which was 2.9 percent," IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said on effects of coronavirus on global economy. But how far will it fall is "difficult to predict, at this point, obviously, given the uncertainty, he added.

8:45PM: The Ministry of Defence has set up seven more quarantine facilities for COVID-19 patients, especially for Indian citizens being brought back from coronavirus-hit countries, an official said on Thursday as number of confirmed cases rose to 74.

The facilities have been set up at Jaisalmer, Suratgadh, Jhansi, Jodhpur, Deolali, Kolkata and Chennai.

7:50PM: At the start of US trading, shares plunged leading to an automatic temporary suspension in trading aimed at curbing panicky selling after US restricted travel from Europe in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The main US and UK share indexes were both 9% lower, with European markets facing their worst ever daily loss, the BBC reported.

7:40PM: Two more persons have been tested positive for coronavirus in Kerala's Thrissur and Kannur districts. Total number of positive cases rise to 16 in the state.

7:30PM:  One more person, with US travel history, tested positive for the coronavirus in Pune, taking the number of confirmed patients of the disease in the Pune city to nine, a senior official said.

With this, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra has reached 12.

5:56 PM: Iran said on Thursday that it has sought immediate financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund to help it combat one of the world's deadliest coronavirus outbreaks.

According to a tweet by Iran's top diplomat, IMF chief Kristina Georgieva had "stated that countries affected by #COVID19 will be supported via Rapid Financial Instrument (RFI)".

5:45 PM: As a precautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus, the Rashtrapati Bhavan will remain closed for exploratory tour visits from tomorrow, March 13, till further notice, the President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum Complex (RBMC) and the Change of Guard ceremony will not be open to public till further notice, he said.

5:13 PM: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that all cinema halls as well as schools and colleges, where exams are not being held, will remain closed till March 31 over the coronavirus fears. 

4:22PM: 10.5 lakh people have been screened so far at 30 designated airports in India. Over 1,500 people are under observation for coming in contact with 73 positive cases of coronavirus, says Health Ministry.

4:13PM: No instance of any community transmission, there has been only local transmission; so no need to panic: Though flu is not common in summer, no study or evidence that suggest high temperature kills coronavirus: Health Ministry.

3:42PM: Three planes will be sent to Iran over next three days to bring back Indians stranded in the coronavirus-hit country: Health ministry.

3:19PM: A 35-year-old Indian-origin doctor from Canada, who came to visit her relatives in Lucknow, has been tested positive for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and her samples have been sent to Pune's National Institute of Virology for reconfirmation. 

3:12PM: IPL behind close doors? | The BCCI kept mum but the Sports Ministry has dropped hints that the IPL could be held in empty stadiums due to the COVID-19 pandemic even as foreign players were ruled out of the glitzy event till April 15 following government-imposed travel restrictions.

2:18PM: Twitter Staff Ordered To Work From Home | Twitter has ordered all staff globally to work from home in an effort to stop the spread of the deadly new coronavirus epidemic.

2:06PM: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan says activities of 51 laboratories are being coordinated to deal with the coronavirus threat. 

1:24PM: Nine Confirmed Coronavirus Cases in UP | The UP government has released a bulletin in which it said that there have been nine confirmed cases of COVID-19 affected patients in the state.

1:20PM: Number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India has now risen to 73. 

12:44PM: "Where communities are understandably anxious, we should reassure them & encourage the observants of globally recognised precautions & procedures. An excessive sense of alarm would only be to the detriment of those who are really in it," says External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. 

12:41PM: EAM Jaishankar says over 6,000 Indians are stuck in Iran. 

11:20A: IPL To Be Postponed? | No foreign player will be available for IPL till April 15 due to visa restrictions imposed by government in wake of coronavirus outbreak, says BCCI.  

10:30AM: Italy Shuts Stores Across Country | Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has announced the closure of all retail shops, coffee bars, pubs, restaurants and beauty salons, and called on the private sector to let employees take leave or work from home as much as possible. The move comes as a desperate bid to halt the spread of a coronavirus that has killed 827 in the country in just over two weeks.

9:58AM: India Under Lockdown | In an unprecedented lockdown for Covid-19, India has notified cancellation of all non-official visas to curb incoming traffic and advised against all non-essential travel abroad which also curbs outgoing travel.

9:56AM: Future Of IPL Unsure | With growing concerns over coronavirus in the country, the Indian Premier League (IPL) governing council announced that it will meet on March 14 to discuss the current situation and the upcoming edition of the league. 

9:30AM: Sensex plummets 1,821.27 pts to 33,876.13 in opening session; Nifty tanks 470.35 pts to 9,988.05 due to coronavirus outbreak.  

9:12AM: Juventus and Italy defender Daniele Rugani became the first Serie A footballer to test positive for coronavirus, the Italian champions have confirmed.

9:00AM: Man Tests Positive In Nagpur | A 45-year-old man tested positive for novel coronavirus infection in Nagpur on Wednesday. The man had returned to the city from the US on March 6, officials said.

8:56AM: France now has 2,281 confirmed coronavirus infection cases -- nearly 500 more than a day before, with 48 deaths and 105 patients hospitalised in intensive care.

8:26AM: WHO Declares Coronavirus A Pandemic | The coronavirus outbreak can now be described as a pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization has announced.

8:23AM: Tom Hanks Tests Positive | Hollywood superstar Tom Hanks has revealed that he and wife Rita Wilson have tested positive for coronavirus.

8:21AM: Trump Bans All Travel From Europe To US | In an unprecedented move, US President Donald Trump has announced he is shutting down travel from Europe to the US as the coronavirus grew into a pandemic that he said called for an "unprecedented response".