Covid-19 LIVE Updates| Coronavirus pandemic "accelerating," says WHO chief

Police in the Italian city of Bergamo have brought much-needed help to people suffering from the coronavirus by redistributing oxygen cylinders used by people who did not survive the virus, reports AFP.

The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has grown by 602 to 6,078, the head of the Civil Protection Agency said on Monday, an 11% increase but the smallest rise in numerical terms since Thursday, suggesting a clear downward trend, reports Reuters.

Turkish banks on Monday offered customers some relief from debt repayments and pledged more cash, the latest steps in the campaign to limit the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak, reports Bloomberg.

The world economy is facing "severe" economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic that could be even more costly than in 2009 and will require an unprecedented response, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said Monday, reports AFP.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman said Monday that the German leader has tested negative for the new coronavirus. Merkel went into quarantine at home on Sunday evening after being informed that a doctor who had administered a vaccination to her had tested positive for the new coronavirus, reports AP.

The Ministry of Health said that 9 people have died and a total of 467 people have been infected in India due to the coronavirus.

As a precautionary step to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Vistara Airlines on Monday announced temporary fleet-wide removal of all reading material from seatback pockets, including the in-flight magazine and newspapers in passengers' interest, reports ANI.

Two more doctors have died after contracting the coronavirus in France, officials said on Monday, a day after the country reported the first death of a doctor treating COVID-19 patients, reports AFP.

Total coronavirus cases in the state of Maharashtra has gone up to 97, the Health Minister, PRO said, reports ANI.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted that all citizens should abide by the government guideline. She also said that the West Bengal Government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure safety & precautions for its citizens in combating COVID-19 efficiently.

It is my sincere request to all the fellow citizens to abide by Government guidelines.

Until and unless an emergency, please don’t step out of your homes.

We will fight this together. Only we can help keep everyone around us safe (2/2)

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) March 23, 2020

Germany's economy minister said that the country's economy will shrink by at least 5% in the year 2020, reports AFP.

Tripura's chief minister Biplab Deb a complete lockdown in the state from 2 PM tomorrow till 31st March in the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak in the country, reports ANI.

Nepal government announced a nationwide lockdown from 6 AM on 24th March in the wake of coronavirus. One more positive case was reported in the country today, taking the total number of positive cases here to 2, reports ANI.

A male employee at the European Parliament has become the first person in the main EU governing institutions in Brussels to die after contracting the new coronavirus, reports AFP.

The Lok Sabha gave a standing ovation and members clapped to express their appreciation for people who are rendering services to deal with the spread of coronavirus including members of the medical community, police personnel and those engaged in cleanliness work, reports ANI.