Coronavirus crisis updates: Schools preparing to shut down indefinitely
As schools prepare to close indefinitely from tomorrow we bring you the latest coronavirus pandemic updates.
Emergency legislation to tackle the coronavirus outbreak will be published in Parliament after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the closure and cancellation of exams.
It comes as the Government is to launch a voucher scheme to ensure children eligible for free school meals will continue to have access to hot food while schools shut down for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, a pub in Bridgnorth has closed for two weeks after a customer was suspected to have the coronavirus.
People are being urged not to stockpile medicines and not to visit pharmacies if they have symptoms of infection, as pressure on the sector increases amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Key developments:
- Bank of England cuts interest rates from 0.25% to 0.1% to shore up economy.
- Police and public health officials getting powers to detain potentially infected people.
- North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson is self isolating after showing symptoms of coronavirus.
- Professional football in England will be suspended until at least the end of April due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- Confirmed cases worldwide have now passed 200,000 and more than 8,000 people have died.
- In the West Midlands, a man has been arrested after allegedly deliberately coughing at people in Dudley.
- UK government rules out banning people from leaving or entering London.
- In a major milestone, China has reported no new domestic cases.
- The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has tests positive for Covid-19.