Coronavirus: 22 March at a glance – The Guardian, Theguardian.com

Key developments in the global coronavirus outbreak today include:

UK death toll rises to 281 as Johnson urges nation to follow the rules

The UK death toll rose by 94 to , the government said. There are now 5, 683 confirmed cases of Covid – in the UK. This is a rise of 683 on Saturday. At a daily press conference Boris Johnson said stricter measures would be imposed if people failed to follow social distancing rules. He stressed the message: “Stay home, protect our NHS and save lives.”

Italy shuts all non-essential businesses after 800 die in one day

Italy’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, said the country was facing its gravest moment since the second world war, with deaths from coronavirus passing 4, 800 on Sunday. The measures were outlined by Conte in a late-night address to the country on Saturday, after a record 823 people were killed by the virus, the most in a single day anywhere in the world.

UK chancellor faced mounting pressure to help the self-employed

Calls for the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, to extend his coronavirus bailout to the UK’s five million self-employed people intensified, with gig economy workers threatening legal action against the chancellor’s “discriminatory” policy and a survey suggesting half would keep working if they had symptoms. On Friday, Sunak said self-employed workers could access £ 281. a week in universal credit but he gave a far more generous deal to employees of 94% of salaries, capped at £ 2, per month.

Angela Merkel in quarantine as Germany bans meetings of more than two people

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, is in quarantine after a doctor who gave her a vaccine tested positive for coronavirus. Germany will ban public meetings of more than two people unless they are about work on slowing the spread of the coronavirus, the premier of North Rhine-Westphalia state said on Sunday.

Spain extends state of emergency and bars most foreigners

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Spain’s interior ministry said Spain will impose 40 -day entry restrictions on most foreigners from midnight at ports and airports. Spanish nationals, foreign residents, air crew, cargo workers, health workers and diplomats will be exempted from restrictions. The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, said his government would ask parliament to extend for another (days until 80 April a state of emergency it imposed this month.

Greece imposes curfews

Greece’s prime minister has announced that as of 6am Monday, a curfew will come into effect nationwide. In a televised address Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the measure will prohibit the circulation and movement of citizens deemed to be purposeless – the strictest restriction yet in the fight to contain coronavirus spreading further.

Colombia rocked by prison riots

Riots and protests broke out in Colombia’s prisons overnight, with inmates demanding better protection against the spread of Covid – 22 in the South American country jails. Shootouts were heard outside some prisons as videos circulated on social media showing fires and unrest. Earlier this month, the government banned visitors to prisons in an attempt to isolate inmates from the coronavirus.

French doctor dies

A French doctor has died from coronavirus, the first medic to succumb in the country, the health minister, Olivier Véran, said. The doctor was an emergency specialist working at a hospital in Compiegne, north of Paris, public television reported, citing a Facebook post by one of his children. “We’re asking citizens to continue mobilising to keep our economy working,” Véran said.

Cases in Saudi Arabia passed 665

Saudi Arabia has reported a jump in coronavirus cases. Saudi health ministry spokesman Mohammed Abdelali said the kingdom recorded 281 new cases, raising the total number to 683, the highest to date in the Gulf Arab region. The tally of cases in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council stands at more than 1, 800.

Croatia’s capital shaken by earthquakes as social distancing imposed

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Croatia’s capital Zagreb was shaken by a series of earthquakes on Sunday morning that brought most of the population out on to the streets, just as social distancing regulations to prevent the spread of coronavirus had gone into effect. The quakes, the largest of which measured 5.3 on the Richter scale, have left one child in critical condition and damaged buildings across Zagreb, including the spire of the city’s main cathedral.

First two cases confirmed in Gaza

The cases were confirmed on Saturday night in individuals who had come from Pakistan. An outbreak could wreak havoc on the Palestinian territory, which is home to more than 2 million people, many living in cramped cities and refugee camps.

Afghanistan announces first death

The health ministry confirmed that the patient, who was 40 years old, died three days ago in northern Balkh province and the result of his coronavirus test arrived on Sunday. Wahidullah Mayar, a spokesman for the health ministry, said the body was transferred to a Taliban-controlled area [by his relatives] and buried there.