![Police officers and soldiers check passengers leaving from Milan main train station [Antonio Calanni/AP]](https://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/imagecache/mbdxxlarge/mritems/Images/2020/3/9/ad119a7333914fb38b6c625d74884cbb_18.jpg "Threat of coronavirus pandemic 'very real': Live updates")
The head of the World Health Organization warned the threat of a global coronavirus pandemic was "very real" as the contagion continued its rapid spread around the world.
In Italy - where some 16 million people are now under quarantine - there were 97 deaths reported, bringing its total on Monday to 463.
Iran temporarily released about 70,000 prisoners because of the coronavirus epidemic, as the death toll rose by 43 new fatalities to 237.
More than 3,800 people have died worldwide from coronavirus and over 110,000 infections have been recorded, according to WHO.
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Here are the latest updates:
Monday, March 9
20:56 GMT - Italy imposes nationwide restrictions to contain new virus
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte says he is extending restrictions on travel from the north to the entire country to try to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Conte said a new government decree will require all people in Italy to demonstrate a need to work, health conditions or other limited reasons to travel outside the areas where they live.
"There won't be just a red zone,'' Conte told reporters referring to a lockdown of areas in northern Italy instituted over the weekend.
"There will be Italy" as a protected area, he said.
20:45 GMT - French culture minister tests positive for coronavirus
French Culture Minister Franck Riester has contracted the novel coronavirus and is staying in his Paris home but is "doing fine", his office said
"The minister tested positive today," after displaying symptoms, the ministry said.
It noted that Riester spent several days last week at the country's lower house National Assembly, where five virus cases were confirmed earlier.
"The minister tested positive today," after displaying symptoms, the ministry said.
It noted that Riester spent several days last week at the country's lower house National Assembly, where five virus cases were confirmed earlier.
20:30 GMT - Cruise ship struck by coronavirus docks a California port
A cruise ship that had been barred from docking in San Francisco after a coronavirus outbreak on board has docked in Oakland, California.
The ship had 21 confirmed cases among the 3,500 passengers and crew on board and had been idling off the coast of California for four days as authorities worked out how to get passengers safely ashore.
Read more here.
20:26 GMT - Marine being treated for coronavirus worked at defence agency near Pentagon, officials say
A United States Marine who tested positive for the coronavirus worked for a defence agency whose headquarters are located near the Pentagon and returned to the Washington, DC area from a trip to Ethiopia last month, three US officials told Reuters.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Marine had been working for the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which is based in Crystal City, Virginia, near the Pentagon.
20:15 GMT - Why experts say Trump is wrong to compare coronavirus to the flu
From contradicting his own public health officials on the coronavirus to dismissing the World Health Organization's global fatality rate of COVID-19 as "false", United States President Donald Trump has been accused of attempting to downplay the seriousness of the disease since the virus reached the US.
Those accusations continued when Trump apparently suggested that the response to the novel coronavirus has been overblown.
Read more here.
20:10 GMT - Portugal's president in 'exemplary' self-isolation, tests negative for coronavirus
Shouting down to reporters from his first-floor balcony, Portugal's president declared that he would remain in voluntary quarantine for two weeks despite testing negative for coronavirus, as an "example" to Portuguese people.
"The test was negative. I'm going to keep working from home, even though it was negative, until the fifteen days are up," broadcaster SIC showed Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa as hollering. "I want to be an example."
The head of state, who is known for rarely missing a social gathering where he eagerly poses with people for selfies, was tested earlier on Monday after his office announced the previous day that he had suspended all engagements and trips abroad for a fortnight and would work from home.
19:25 GMT - Iraq orders closure of holy city of Najaf: state news agency
Iraqi authorities have ordered the closure of Najaf province, home to holy Muslim Shia sites, for non-residents starting on Wednesday for a week to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the state news agency said.
Najaf is a major destination for Shia pilgrims.
18:56 GMT - Canada records first death from new virus
Canadian health officials say a man has died of the new virus at a home for the elderly in North Vancouver in what is believed to be the country's first COVID-19 death.
British Columbia Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix announced at the weekend that two residents of the Lynn Valley Care Centre had been diagnosed with the virus.
Henry says the diagnoses followed an earlier diagnosis of a worker at the care home, making the cases especially concerning as examples of community transmission.
18:13 GMT - Fifth UK death confirmed
A fifth person in the United Kingdom has died after contracting coronavirus, the health service said.
"We can confirm that sadly, a patient in their seventies who was very unwell with a number of significant and long term health conditions has passed away at St Helier Hospital," said Daniel Elkeles, chief executive for Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust in a statement.
18:07 GMT - Iraq calls on citizens to avoid visiting sacred cities and sites
Iraq banned all public gatherings and called on citizens to avoid visiting sacred cities and sites to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Authorities also called on Iraqis arriving from Iran, China, South Korea, Italy, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Kuwait and Bahrain to stay at home for self-quarantine for 14 days, a government statement said.
18:00 GMT - Israel to require quarantine of all citizens returning from abroad
Israel will require all citizens who return from abroad to self-quarantine for 14 days as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
It will admit foreigners only if they can prove they have the means to self-quarantine, Israeli media said, adding the measure would go into effect on Thursday.
17:47 GMT - Italy death toll jumps by nearly 100 to 463
Italy's death toll increased by 97 since Sunday to 463 in one day, Italian authorities said.
The total number of confirmed cases rose to 9,172 from 7,375, according to officials.
17:15 GMT - White House's response under attack as markets plunge
The Trump administration scrambled to assure Americans it was responding to a widening coronavirus outbreak as stock markets plunged.
US President Donald Trump - who has repeatedly played down the threat posed by the flu-like virus sweeping the globe – planned to meet with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and other members of his economic team to weigh possible action.
Paid sick leave is among policy steps being considered. The chairman of the Senate finance committee is exploring targeted tax relief to address the impact of the outbreak.
17:01 GMT - Threat of coronavirus pandemic 'has become very real': WHO
The coronavirus is closer to causing a pandemic but outbreaks in countries can still be controlled through a combination of containment and mitigation measures, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
"Now that the virus has a foothold in so many countries, the threat of a pandemic has become very real," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, told a news conference.
"But it would be the first pandemic that could be controlled. The bottom line is we are not at the mercy of the virus."
Four countries account for 93 percent of the 110,000 cases worldwide, Tedros said. "We are encouraged that Italy is taking aggressive measures to contain its epidemic and we hope that those measures prove effective in the coming days."
"Over the weekend we crossed 100,000 reported cases of #COVID19 in 100 countries.
It’s certainly troubling that so many people & countries have been affected, so quickly"-@DrTedros #coronavirus
"Now that the #coronavirus has a foothold in so many countries, the threat of a pandemic has become very real.
But it would be the first pandemic in history that could be controlled.
The bottom line is: we are not at the mercy of this virus"-@DrTedros #COVID19
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14:45 GMT - New York launches its own hand sanitizer
New York - under a state of emergency following a coronavirus outbreak - launched its own brand of hand sanitizer, made by jail inmates.
Governor Andrew Cuomo said 38,000 litres (100,000 gallons) of "NYS Clean" would be produced a week by prisoners, who already manufacture soap, to meet shortages.
"This is a superior product," said Cuomo as the gel was unveiled from behind a curtain at a press conference. "It has a very nice floral bouquet," he added, after rubbing some on his hands.
The product, which has an alcohol content of 75 percent, will be provided for free to government agencies, schools, the public transportation system and prisons, Cuomo said.
It is part of the government's "Corcraft" scheme where prisoners make dozens of products including cleaning supplies, bedding and clothes.
16:35 GMT - Dublin to cancel St Patrick's Day Parade over coronavirus
The Irish government will cancel this year's St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin because of the coronavirus outbreak, state broadcaster RTE reported.
Ireland currently has 21 cases of COVID-19, and the country's second city, Cork, has already cancelled its festivities.
The parade was due to be held on March 17.
Ireland currently has 21 cases of COVID-19, and the country's second city, Cork, has already cancelled its festivities.
The parade was due to be held on March 17.
16:13 GMT - N.Korea should allow outside help against virus: UN expert
A UN rights expert called for North Korea to provide access to outside medical experts amid concern over the impact the new coronavirus could have on the malnourished population.
North Korea "should allow full and unimpeded access to medical experts and humanitarian actors", said Tomas Ojea Quintana, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the country.
He also called for a "review" of the punishing sanctions imposed on North Korea, insisting that "further isolation of the country is not the answer."
North Korea "should allow full and unimpeded access to medical experts and humanitarian actors", said Tomas Ojea Quintana, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the country.
He also called for a "review" of the punishing sanctions imposed on North Korea, insisting that "further isolation of the country is not the answer."
15:42 GMT - First two deaths confirmed in Germany
German local authorities have announced the country's first two deaths in connection with the coronavirus.
Both deaths occurred in the western state of North Rhine Westphalia, which has been the worst hit so far.
Germany has over 1,100 cases according to the World Health Organization.
15:40 GMT - Bootleg booze kills 27 in Iran after virus 'cure' rumours
Twenty-seven people have died from methanol poisoning in Iran after rumours that drinking alcohol can help cure the novel coronavirus infection, state news agency IRNA reported.
A spokesman for Jundishapur medical university in Ahvaz, the capital of Khuzestan, said 218 people had been hospitalised there after being poisoned. The poisonings were caused by "rumours that drinking alcohol can be effective in treating coronavirus," Ali Ehsanpour said.
Drinking alcohol is banned in Iran for everyone except some non-Muslim religious minorities.
15:30 GMT - Misinformation, fake news spark India coronavirus fears
India's battle against the coronavirus has many obstacles - large crowds, a stretched health system and inadequate infrastructure - as the number of infections rose to 43.
But beyond these, a familiar foe is rearing its head: fake news.
Read more here.
15:20 GMT - Saudi Arabia extends travel ban to France, Germany, Turkey, Spain
Saudi Arabia temporarily suspended land and sea travel to and from Oman, France, Germany, Turkey and Spain for citizens and residents to help stem the spread of coronavirus, state news agency SPA said.
Quoting a source in the interior ministry, SPA said people coming from these countries - or who have visited any of them within 14 days prior to travel to Saudi Arabia - will not be allowed to enter.
Riyadh earlier suspended travel to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, South Korea, Egypt, Italy and Iraq in response to the coronavirus threat.
14:55 PM - 'Think about that!': Trump urges that life and economy must go on
United States president Donald Trump suggested that "life and the economy" must go on amid the coronavirus outbreak, and pointed out that 37,000 people died from the common flu last year.
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