PEOPLE over 60 or with long-term illnesses should try to avoid crowded places to cut the risk of catching coronavirus, the head of the World Health Organisation has said.

The global death toll has now reached nearly 3,000 people as countries around the world continue to report their findings to the WHO.

As of Sunday, there have been over 86,500 cases of the virus globally, the vast majority of which have been in China.

Outside of China, it has spread to 53 countries, with more than 6,500 cases and more than 100 deaths.

The latest advice by director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus came as WHO upgraded the global risk of the epidemic to "very high" - the top category while countries around the globe ramped up restrictions in the face of the escalating crisis.

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He said in a tweet: "If you are 60+, or have an underlying condition like cardiovascular disease, a respiratory condition or diabetes, you have a higher risk of developing severe #COVID19. Try to avoid crowded areas, or places where you might interact with people who are sick."

He added: "If you are sick, stay at home; eat and sleep separately from your family, use different utensils and cutlery to eat. If you develop shortness of breath, call your doctor and seek care immediately."

The Herald:

The Louvre museum in Paris has remained shut amid concerns over France's coronavirus outbreak.

Staff at the Louvre - the most visited museum in world - voted "almost unanimously" not to open on Sunday, a union representative said.

Long lines of disgruntled tourists snaked outside the famous museum yesterday morning as management held a staff meeting about the outbreak to reassure workers that the risk was contained.

But the home of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo sculpture remained closed afterward.

On Saturday the French government banned all indoor gatherings of more than 5,000 people, in an effort to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. But museums are not covered by a ban on large public gatherings.

France has reported 100 cases of the Covid-19 disease and two people have died.

“Despite talks with management and the staff doctor, the Louvre Museum was unable to open in the absence of sufficient personnel,” a spokeswoman for the museum said after the meeting.

Employee and union representative Andre Sacristin said: "We are very worried because we have visitors from everywhere.

"The risk is very, very, very great."

Another five people have died in Italy, where cases have reached 1,694 in what is the largest outbreak in Europe.

A package of measures worth £3.1bn are to be introduced by the government aimed at helping the economy where the death toll has reached at least 34. The highest concentrations are in the areas of Veneto, Treviso and Venice.

Serie A football games were postponed over the weekend and there is fierce debate about when the games should be held.

Entire towns are on lockdown in the north of the country and many schools are having to conduct lessons online.

Meanwhile the leader of a religious sect in South Korea could face a homicide investigation over some of the country's coronavirus deaths.

The city government of the capital Seoul has asked prosecutors to charge Lee Man-hee, the founder of the Shincheonji Church, and 11 others.

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They are accused of hiding the names of some members as officials tried to track patients before the virus spread.

South Korea is battling the worst coronavirus outbreak outside China.

The country has reported 3,730 cases and 21 deaths so far. More than half of all infections involve members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a fringe Christian group.

Seoul mayor Park Won-soon urged Lee to take responsibility and fully cooperate with the country’s efforts to stop the rapid spread of the virus. A failure to do so will be tantamount to “murder by inaction,” he said, while urging the state prosecution to investigate.

Churches in the country were closed yesterday with many holding online services instead, as the authorities battle the largest virus outbreak outside China.

Iran has had the highest number of deaths from coronavirus outside of China. So far 54 people have died, while the number of people infected has soared to nearly 978, including a number of government officials.

The health ministry has called on Iranians to avoid any unnecessary trips and stay at home.

Some neighbouring states have closed their borders with Iran and several countries have stopped flights.

In Germany, more than 100 people have been infected with the cases emerging from Lower Saxony, Hamburg, Bremen, Hesse and Schleswig-Holstein.

There are increasing numbers of virus cases in North Rhine-Westphalia - reaching about 70. Among those identified are a teaching assistant and four children.

And in Spain there are at least 73 cases across the country, with epicentres in Madrid, Valencia and the southern Andalusia region popular with British holidaymakers. Officials say they are still trying to work out whether all of the cases were imported or if some were spread within Spain.

There are cases in Marbella, Madrid, the Basque country and Catalonia that do not seem to have come from abroad.

The US and Australia have also recorded their first deaths from the disease caused by the coronavirus.

China reported 35 new deaths - the lowest in three days - while the Czech Republic reported its first cases.