COVID-19 Updates: South Korea Sees Decline in Cases

More than 16,300 people in the world have died from COVID-19 while some 100,000 of the 375,500 people who have been infected by the virus across the world have recovered, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.

Here are the latest updates:

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Update 09:10 pm

Beijing tightens quarantine rules for arrivals from overseas

Authorities in Beijing the capital of China are taking further measures to deal with cases of coronavirus imported by people returning from overseas.

All arrivals into Beijing will now have to take a test for COVID-19 as well as complete 14 days of quarantine.

Update 08:55 pm

Encouraging signs from South Korea where cases decline slightly

South Korea has reported Tuesday 76 new coronavirus cases, marking the 13th consecutive day with new infections of 100 or less.

Update 08:35 pm

Cuba bars its citizens from leaving the country

Cuba imposed a lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus and barred Cubans from leaving the island. The Caribbean nation also closed schools and suspended transport between regions. 

Cuba has so far confirmed 40 COVID-19 ​​​​​​cases.

Update 04:00 pm

State of emergency declared in Senegal and Ivory Coast  

Senegal and Ivory Coast have declared a state of emergency to face the new coronavirus pandemic. 

Senegal will impose a dusk-to-dawn curfew, while Ivory Coast said it would introduce gradual confinement measures.

Update 03:55 pm

Ontario and Quebec to close all non-essential businesses

Non-essential businesses will close for at least two weeks starting Tuesday in Canada's provinces Ontario and Quebec, in efforts to control the new coronavirus pandemic.

Update 03:35 pm

United Kingdom's Johnson announces a three weeks strict lockdown 

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered all residents to stay home and for non-essential businesses to close for at least three weeks. 

"From this evening I must give the British people a very simple instruction, you must stay at home," the PM said in a televised address. 

People are only allowed to leave their homes for shopping for basic necessities, one form of exercise a day, any medical need, and traveling to and from work "but only where this is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home."  

Update 03:25 pm

Suspected case of COVID-19 among White House press staff

A White House reporter is suspected of having contracted the coronavirus, the White House Correspondents Association said

The announcement raised concerns about daily press briefings that gather dozens of journalists and United States President Donald Trump administration officials. 

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Update 03:00 pm

UK supreme court opts for video conferencing

The supreme court in the United Kingdom will resort to video conferencing to hear cases and deliver judgments, the court said in a statement.

"As a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the UK Supreme Court and Judicial Committee of the Privy Council will hear all cases and deliver judgments through video conferencing, from tomorrow," the statement said. 

Update 02:45 pm

France to toughen lockdown rules 

France is to make lockdown rules stricter, limiting physical exercise and closing most open-air markets, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said.

The European country is hardly hit by the pandemic which killed 860 people as for today, while almost 20,000 people have been infected.

Update 02:30 pm

Iran calls for the 2020 Olympics' delay 

Iran has called for the 2020 Olympics to be postponed amid the new coronavirus outbreak, the country's state news agency IRNA reported Monday.

"ِGiven the recent events and the spread of the coronavirus in the world, as well as the cancellation of a number of major continentals and global competitions ... I am urging you to postpone the Olympic games," head of National Olympic Committee of Iran Reza Salehi Amiri said in a letter to International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach.

Update 02:10 pm

Cyprus announces lockdown  

Authorities in Cyprus declared that the island will be under lockdown until April 13 to combat the rapid spread of coronavirus.

"We are truly at war, and this isn't won by enlisting our children to give or take lives by means of arms," Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said. "It's a war that can only be won if we batten down the hatches."

Cyprus has reported 116 cases of coronavirus. 

Update 02:00 pm

Algeria imposes curfew in the capital

Algeria will enforce a curfew starting Tuesday to fight the coronavirus in the capital Algiers from 7 pm to 7 am, while a total lockdown will be imposed in the town of Blida, the center of the outbreak in the North African country.

The measures will last for 10 days. Algeria has so far 230 confirmed cases and 17 people have died from the epidemic.