WHO DECLARES CORONAVIRUS A GLOBAL PANDEMIC

GENEVA, Switzerland

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the coronavirus outbreak, which has spread to at least 114 countries around the world, a pandemic with Italy tightening its quarantine and the US imposing a ban on flights to Europe.

Noon prayers outside the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which has expanded a travel ban to tackle the coronavirus

"We have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday. "We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear." 

President Donald Trump announced new measures to address the United States growing outbreak, including a Europe travel ban that will take effect from midnight on Friday.

Italy has further tightened the quarantine it imposed across the country earlier this week - with all but essential services and shops to close for two weeks - after leaders from the  European Union promised to do "whatever it takes" to tackle the coronavirus, which first emerged in China at the end of last year.

Meanwhile, the virus continued to spread in the United States and appeared in new countries including Bolivia, Honduras and Turkey, while Indonesia, Bulgaria and Sweden recorded their first deaths.

More than 66,000 people have recovered from the illness around the world, according to John Hopkins University, which is tracking the virus.

Here are the latest updates:

Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended travel of citizens and residents and halted flights with several states, state news agency SPA said on Thursday citing an official source at the Interior Ministry.

The ban includes the European Union, Switzerland, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Sudan, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Eritrea, Kenya, Djibouti, and Somalia, the source added, saying the Kingdom had also suspended entry to those coming from these countries.

The decision excludes health workers from the Philippines and India, and evacuation, shipping and trade trips taking necessary precautions. 

Thailand reported 11 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases in the Southeast Asian nation to 70, health officials said.

All the new patients had socialised and shared drinks, health officials said, adding that a tourist from Hong Kong had been the source of the infection.

"The Hong Kong tourist came alone and already went back. The 11 infected are all Thai," said Sopon Iamsirithawon, director-general of the Communicable Diseases Department.

Greece has reported its first fatality from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

The health ministry says the man who died was 67 and had recently returned from a religious pilgrimage to Israel and Egypt. He also had underlying health issues.

Democrats in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday unveiled a broad package of proposals to help Americans affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

The legislation, which Democratic leaders aim to push through on Thursday, would grant workers 14 days paid sick leave and up to three months of paid family and medical leave, a summary of the bill shows.

Other provisions in the 124-page "Families First Coronavirus Response Act" introduced late on Wednesday include unemployment insurance, hundreds of millions of dollars for nutrition programmes and assistance for pregnant women. 

It will also guarantee free coronavirus testing for anyone who requires it, including those who don't have health insurance.

Japan must plan for any postponement or cancellation of the Tokyo Olympic Games, even if it seems unlikely, Shigeru Ishiba, a ruling party heavyweight seen as a leading candidate to be the next prime minister told Reuters.

Ishiba, an outspoken critic of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said on Wednesday the fate of the summer games was a decision best left to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He declined to comment on what the best move might be.

"Not thinking about worst-case scenarios won't eliminate the risk of them materialising," Ishiba said.

"The government must start thinking now about what to do" in case the Olympics Games is cancelled or postponed, he added.