The Taliban rejects the government's conditional prisoner release order announced by PresidentAshraf Ghani. The Taliban demand 5,000 Taliban prisoners held by the government be released before intra-Afghan dialogue can be initiated. (Al Jazeera)
The world's largest annual video game industry event E3 2020 is officially cancelled due to concerns over the coronavirus. The highly anticipated event was scheduled to take place on June 9, ahead of major console launches for Microsoft and Sony. (BBC News)
Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education reports 958 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 63 more deaths, the highest number of deaths in a single 24-hour period in the country to date. All Iranians are now warned to stay indoors. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei cancels his annual speech marking the Iranian new year on March 20. (Reuters)
Hungary declares a state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak, closing all university campuses and banning large gatherings, while anyone from Italy, China, South Korea, and Iran will be refused entry into the country. Senior minister Gergely Gulyás says "These measures are unprecedented in the three decades since the fall of communism". (Bloomberg)
The index case in Italy has been identified as a man from Germany who arrived in the country at the end of January. (Tgcom24)
The death toll in Italy rises to 827, as nearly two-hundred more people were confirmed dead today, the largest daily increase in deaths since the outbreak began, while the number of confirmed cases rises to 12,462, according to Protezione Civile. (National Post)
Ukraine bans mass gatherings and closes all schools for three weeks in response to the global coronavirus outbreak. The government says some sporting events might still go ahead but without any spectators. (Reuters)
PresidentDonald Trump gives a prime-time statement about the coronavirus during which he announces a 30-day ban on travel from European countries with the exception of the United Kingdom. (ABC News)
President Alberto Fernández issues an order saying that all people coming from hard-hit countries will have to self-quarantine for 14 days; failure to do so will be considered a crime. In addition, he analyses the possibility of banning all mass gatherings. (Infobae in Spanish)
The NBA has announced that its 2019–20 season is on hiatus "until further notice" after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested a presumptive positive for COVID-19. (ESPN)