The Federal Reserve Bank announces the commitment to buy any amount of government-backed securities needed to keep interest rates down. Among other measures being developed to support the real economy, it will also establish a special purpose vehicle allowing it to buy investment-grade corporate bonds directly. (Reuters)
New Zealand enters alert level 3 after the investigation into two assumed community-spread cases do not find any links to travel. All schools and public venues are closed. The country will enter alert level 4 on 26 March at midnight local time. (Stuff)
Spain's Ministry of Health reports 4,000 new confirmed coronavirus cases, rising to 33,000 infected and 2,182 dead. (NBC News)
The Spanish Army has found elderly people abandoned and dead inside retirement homes, according to Defence Minister Margarita Robles. A criminal investigation has been launched. (BBC News)
The British government announces that ExCeL London will be turned into a 4000-bed hospital to open next week, staffed primarily by military medics. (The Guardian)
The DutchHealth Ministry reports 545 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 34 more deaths, bringing the total number of cases to 4,749 and 213 deaths. (Reuters)
Malta's government announces that citizens who test positive for COVID-19 and disobey self-isolation rules will be fined 10,000 euros. (Times of Malta)
Myanmar reports the country's first confirmed cases of COVID-19, the patients are a 36-year-old who had travelled back from the United States and a 26-year-old returning from the United Kingdom. Panic buying is reported in the country's largest city, Yangon. (CNA)
PresidentCyril Ramaphosa announces a 21-day nationwide lockdown effective from March 26, to contain the coronavirus, as the number of confirmed cases rises to 402. Soldiers will be deployed to help police enforce the lockdown. (Reuters)
Norwegian Jewel arrives at Honolulu after cutting its trip short due to COVID-19 and mechanical problems. No positive cases were confirmed among the passengers and crew members. (ABC News)
GovernorCharlie Baker orders all businesses and organizations not providing essential services to close until April 7, effective at noon on Tuesday. Baker states that he is not issuing a stay-at-home order, saying it "doesn't make sense from a public health point of view", but has directed the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to issue a stay-at-home advisory, limiting public gatherings to 10 people or less. (WBUR-FM)