Coronavirus news - live: Outbreak declared international health emergency by WHO, as experts say UK risk has risen

Chinese health chief sacked over failure to answer basic questions on outbreak

Tang Zhihong, the Chinese city health chief who was dismissed earlier today, was sacked after her failure to answer basic questions on the coronavirus outbreak sparked widespread public anger.

Ms Tang, who ran the health department for Huanggang city near Wuhan, struggled during an appearance on state television.

When she was questioned on how many people a certain hospital under her remit could handle, Ms Tang could not immediately answer.

When asked how many people were ill, she replied: “I don't know, I'm unclear.”

“I only know how many beds there are. Don't ask me how many people are being treated,” she added.

A few hours later, she was dismissed from her position by the city’s health department.

Reuters could not reach her for comment.

The original story featuring Ms Tang quickly went viral on the Weibo account of the state television’s news channel, prompting angry comments from viewers.

The Chinese government has said it will investigate and punish officials involved in fighting the virus who slack off on their jobs.

Huanggang has the second most cases of coronavirus behind Wuhan, the city where the virus was first identified.

Thousands of passengers on lockdown in Italy over coronavirus fears

About 6,000 passengers are stranded on a cruise ship in Italy amid fears that a passenger onboard may have contracted coronavirus.

Tests are being carried out on a 54-year-old woman from Macau who has been placed in an isolation unit with her husband.

The liner, which belongs to Costa Cruises, is currently docked in Civitavecchia, a port north of Rome.

Our head of travel Cathy Adams has the full story below:

Travel from China naturally declining in light of outbreak, US health secretary says

Alex Azar, the US health secretary, has said that travel from China to the US has naturally dropped off following the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.

“We're not going to take any public health options off the table to protect the American people. But what we're seeing already is the diminution in flights going back and forth between China and the United States,” Mr Azar told CNBC on Thursday.

“So we've seen flights come down. We're seeing air traffic going down on a passenger basis. This is naturally occurring as we speak.”

The US State Department has issued a strict travel advisory for China, recommending travellers reconsider going to the country and explicitly warning citizens to not travel to Hubei Province - the region where the outbreak emerged.

Indonesia preparing to evacuate nearly 250 nationals from Hubei Province

Indonesia’s government has said it is preparing to evacuate nearly 250 Indonesians from China's Hubei province over the coronavirus outbreak.

“The Chinese government is ready to facilitate the repatriation of Indonesian citizens from areas affected [by coronavirus],” an Indonesian foreign ministry statement said.

The country has previously said it would send two Boeing 737s and a military C130 Hercules aircraft for the evacuation, which health minister Terawan Agus Putranto said was expected to be completed on Saturday.

Here is all of the biggest news from the day so far:

• Last night China reported its largest single day jump in the number of coronavirus deaths since the outbreak began – surging from 132 to 170. The latest infection figures put the global number at almost 8,000.

• There are still no confirmed cases in the UK after more than 160 people have been tested – however a Scottish government source said a new case was highly likely in the coming days.

• The British government has brokered a plan to bring UK nationals back from the epicenter of the virus in Wuhan after plans were initially delayed. Citizens will be transported at 5am local time tomorrow, before being transported to a military base in the UK.It is unclear whether non-British family members will be able to join those on board.

• About 6,000 passengers are stranded on a cruise ship in Italy amid fears that a passenger onboard may have contracted coronavirus.

• The Philippines has confirmed its first case after a 38-year-old Chinese woman who arrived from Wuhan was found to have been infected. India has also confirmed its first case nationwide in the southern state of Kerala.

• Russia has closed its 4,000km border with China over the outbreak, with prime minister Mikhail Mishustin signing the order to seal off the far east region of the country. Three additional cases have been confirmed in Vietnam.

• After flip flopping several times British Airways has announced a ban on all flights to and from mainland China until 29 February. They follow in the footsteps of Lufthansa and Air Madrid.

UK's Wuhan evacuation flight will carry 50 non-British citizens

A British flight evacuating its citizens from the Coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan will also include around 50 non-British, mainly EU, nationals, Boris Johnson's spokesman said on Thursday.

Earlier Spain's foreign ministry said around 20 Spaniards would be on the flight.

Chinese trade to be blocked from entering Russia via railways

Russia’s state railway operator has said freight shipments between Russia and China will stop at midnight local time over coronavirus –the nation’s Interfax news agency has reported.

It follows the closing of the 4,000km land border between Russia and China.

So far officials in Moscow are yet to announce any cases of the virus in the country.

Global demand for face masks surges

From South Korea to the Czech Republic, China's coronavirus outbreak has triggered a massive surge in demand for protective masks, with factories scrambling to fill orders and shops selling out.

Fears of infection have sent people rushing to pharmacies. In Hong Kong's Kowloon district, anxious residents queued for seven hours on Thursday only to discover stores had sold out of masks.

Manufacturers have had to ramp up production, with some running factories 24 hours a day.

"We are considering increasing shifts to two, three in order to meet demand but capacity is limited, there's only so much we can do," said an official at Kukje Pharma Co, a South Korean mask manufacturer.

The company has received a rush of orders for "tens of millions of masks" since 24 January, he said.

CMmask, a Chinese mask maker that supplies 30% of the nation's domestic market, is receiving daily orders for 5 million masks, more than 10 times its usual level.

US officials announce first person-to-person case in country

Health officials have reported the first US case of person-to-person spread of the new virus from China.

The individual is married to the Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from a trip to Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak.

The new case is also the first person to have contracted the disease without visiting China.

UK citizens evacuated from Wuhan to be taken to Merseyside - reports

British citizens who have been evacuated from Wuhan are due to be airlifted to RAF Brize Norton before receiving treatment at Arrowepoint Hospital near the village of Upton, Wirral - according to the BBC's health editor.

A spokesperson for the department of Health was not initially able to corroborate reports when approached by the Independent.

Here's the broadcaster's Hugh Pym: