Coronavirus news – live: UK hospitals instructed to create secure pods for patients as emergency Cobra meeting called

Airbus closure

Airbus has temporarily shuttered its factory in northern China where it builds A320 passenger jets.

The European firm did not say on Wednesday when it planned to reopen the Tianjin plant which constructs the 180-seater aircraft.

Airbus is sticking to Beijing's order that employees work from home if possible.

Travel restrictions in China are also posing logistical problems, the company said.

Exclusive - UK hospitals must create new coronavirus pods

All NHS hospitals in England have been ordered to create secure areas for coronavirus testing to “avoid a surge in emergency departments”, according to a leaked NHS letter, writes Shaun Lintern.

Hospitals have been told to create “coronavirus priority assessment pods” where people will be checked for the virus which will need to be decontaminated each time they are used.

The letter, seen by The Independent and dated 31 January, instructs all chief executives and medical directors to have the pods up and running no later than Friday, 7 February.

Hancock 'taking no chances'

A reminder now of what the UK government is saying about coronavirus. Matt Hancock, the health secretary, was interviewed on BBC Breakfast earlier today.

Gates Foundation ploughs $100m into virus fight

Bill and Melinda Gates are to give up to $100m (£77m) to detect and treat coronavirus and well as to boost the search for a vaccine, they have said.

In a statement the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said the funding would be made available immediately; it includes $10m the body has already pledged.

Some $20m will go specifically to public health authorities in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where the foundation said people "have limited access to quality primary health care, which is another factor that increases their health risks".

A $60m (£46m) tranche of cash will go to help scientists develop a vaccine - a sum greater than that which the UK government has invested.

Matt Hancock said earlier that Britain had given £40m.

Car show blow

Chinese delegates chose not to attend a major Indian car show on Wednesday over coronavirus fears.

More than 296 exhibitors and delegates did not take up their invitations to the event, due to begin officially on Friday and which is expected to draw crowds numbering in the hundreds of thousands.

Some Chinese companies have said their booths will be staffed by Indian representatives or employees.

"This is something which is very, very unfortunate," said Sugato Sen, deputy director general of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, which is organizing the show. "But you can't help it. Many other shows across the globe are getting affected because of this."

There have been three confirmed cases of coronavirus in India.

Hong Kong strike update

About 4,000 medical staff did not show up for work in Hong Kong on Wednesday as part of strike action designed to push the government into fully blocking the border with China.

Carrie Lam, the city's leader, has already greatly restricted border crossings.

The medical workers' union involved claimed 7,000 people took part in industrial action.

Ms Lam has imposed a 14-day quarantine on all visitors from China. Authorities have also locked down a cruise ship that docked in Hong Kong.

Cobra meeting

Matt Hancock is to chair a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee today at 4.45pm. Teams from the Foreign Office and Department of Health will attend alongside health experts.

Sri Panwa, a luxury hotel in Phuket, Thailand, has advertised a "Corona Special" deal which includes one free Corona beer with every meal and Corona beers delivered daily to guests' villas, writes Cathy Adams.

The caption: "Don't worry, we'll take care of you here."

Thailand currently has 25 cases of coronavirus.

All clear in Scotland

Thirty-one patients have been tested for coronavirus so far in Scotland and all results have been negative.

Thermal scanners for people flying into Turkey and Italy

Italy and Turkey are to screen all incoming airline passengers in a bit to contain coronavirus.

The two countries will take everyone's temperature - with Ankara installing thermal cameras at airports from Thursday.

Previously, Turkey was only screening travellers from China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea and Malaysia.

On 30 January Italy banned all commercial flights to and from China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. That day, two Chinese tourists from Wuhan tested positive coronavirus in Rome.

But to boost precautions involving passengers from other countries, the Italian health ministry and civil protection agency announced they would use thermal scanners "on all arriving passengers".