Coronavirus: Thousands stranded on cruise ship as 21 cases confirmed

The South by Southwest festival, better known as SXSW, has become the latest casualty of the outbreak in the US.

The music, tech and film festival – one of the most famous in the US – had been due to take place in Austin, Texas, from 13-22 March. Amazon, Netflix and Apple had already pulled out.

Austin Mayor Steve Adler declared “a local disaster” in response to the coronavirus and said he had “issued an order that effectively cancels South by Southwest for this year”.

Here’s the latest from the UK today.

The country has reported its second death from the virus.

Milton Keynes University Hospital said the man, who had underlying health conditions, died shortly after testing positive for the virus.

The hospital has isolated any patients or staff who were in contact with him.

The UK’s first death – a woman in her 70s – was confirmed on Thursday. A British man also died from the virus last month in Japan after being infected on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

The number of confirmed cases in the UK now stands at 164.

About a month ago, a story came to light that moved people all over the world.

Pictures of Lu Huejin crying as she tried to get her 26-year-old daughter out of locked-down Hubei province for leukaemia treatment in neighbouring Jiangxi went viral.

“She needs to have her treatment. But they won’t let us through,” Ms Lu told two reporters who found her on a bridge of the Yangtze river.

“All I want to do is save her life.”

The BBC has tracked down the family to find out what happened next.

Read the story here.

The Philippines – a country of more than 100 million people – has only reported six infections but the country has now had its first case of local transmission.

This has raised fears that the disease could spread quickly through communities and prompted the health secretary to recommend that a state of public health emergency be declared.

President Rodrigo Duterte reportedly approved this on Saturday. The government has warned that communities could be locked down if cases increase rapidly.

Although the Philippines has had few confirmed cases, it’s worth remembering that the first confirmed fatality outside China was there – involving a man who had travelled from Wuhan, where the virus first emerged.

And like everywhere in Asia, people have been concerned about the virus for several weeks. In February, we reported on a mass wedding ceremony where face masks and temperature checks were a key part of proceedings.

Cases of the virus, which causes the respiratory disease Covid-19, have now been reported in more than 90 countries, the World Health Organization says.

The Vatican, Serbia, Slovakia, Peru, Cameroon and Togo have all reported their first cases. Cameroon is the first central African country to register a case.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands reported its first death on Friday.

Italy has reported its biggest daily jump in coronavirus deaths – 49, taking the total to 197.

More than 4,600 cases have been reported in total and the government has ordered the closure of all schools for 10 days as it battles to contain the outbreak. All professional sport, including Serie A football matches, will be played behind closed doors for a month.

The country, which has one of the world’s oldest populations, has now the most officially reported deaths from the virus outside China.

In California, 21 cases of coronavirus have now been confirmed on the Grand Princess cruise ship that is

being held off the coast near San Francisco.

The cruise liner is a sister ship of the Diamond Princess,

which was the scene of a major coronavirus outbreak while moored in Japan.

US Vice President Mike Pence said the Grand Princess would be sent to a non-commercial dock over the

weekend where all its 3,533 passengers and crew would be tested.