The number of deaths from coronavirus in Italy now surpasses the number of people who the Chinese government says have died from the epidemic in China. Meanwhile China and the US blame the pandemic on each other and the US and Canada have agreed to close their border to non-essential traffic. The BBC's Arunoday Mukharji tells us how India is coping with Covid-19 and as businesses close, we look at the prospects for freelancers and workers in the gig economy. One industry that's been particularly badly hit is entertainment and we hear from comedian Amy Gledhill. Plus, in Peru we talk to some travellers who are faced with two weeks lockdown - and are really looking forward to it. And joining us throughout the programme are Nisha Gopalan, Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering deals and banking in Hong Kong and Ralph Silva from Silva Research Network in Toronto. Picture of Covid-19 via Getty Images.

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The latest on coronavirus

President Trump has signed into law a package of emergency measures to deal with the coronavirus outbreak. The legislation provides sick leave, unemployment benefits, food and medical assistance to people affected by the pandemic. We hear from Louise Sheiner, a senior fellow and policy director at the Hutchins Centre at the Brookings Institute. The European Central Bank has announced an emergency bond-buying scheme worth 750 billion euros. The move came after panic selling of Italian bonds; we hear from Lorenzo Codogno, chief economist at LC Macro Advisers and a former Italian Treasury official. As market sell-offs continue we get the latest from Susan Schmidt at Aviva Investors. American car makers temporarily shut factories to protect workers from the spread of covid19; we hear from Paul Eisenstein, editor in chief of the industry site The Detroit Bureau. We hear how Italian life has changed after the country was put into coronavirus lockdown. Italy is by no means the only country where people are staying indoors to curb the spread of coronavirus. In the UK, from next week schools will be closed, which could pose a whole new set of challenges for parents, including Lottie Dunham, a project manager from Manchester. With factories closed and people staying home instead of driving their cars, there's been a noticeable reduction in pollution in some cities from Beijing to California. And in Venice the canals are clearer than they've been in a very long time as Vera Mantengoli a journalist at the daily, La Nuova Venezia, tells us. And joining us throughout the programme are Nicole Childers, Executive Producer of Marketplace Morning Report and Stepfanie  Yuen Thio, joint managing partner at TSMP Law in Singapore. Photo of the New York Stock Exchange by Spencer Platt for Getty

Emergency US economic measures signed into law

The British government tries to shore up the UK economy in the face of the coronavirus outbreak, with a rescue package worth hundreds of billions of dollars. We hear from the BBC's Andrew Walker. Facebook is giving each of its employees a $1,000 bonus to help support them during the coronavirus outbreak and Amazon is stopping sellers from sending non-essential items to its UK and US warehouses until 5 April, to make space for vital items needed by its customers; we get more from the BBC's technology reporter Zoe Thomas in Silicon Valley. As Germany closes its borders with neighbouring countries France, Austria and Switzerland, to all but commercial traffic, our reporter Eric Graydon speaks to businesses in Berlin. As more businesses move to cashless payments, we look at the future of the technology. Plus, with swathes of the community staying home, there could be a much greater need for food deliveries. Could restaurants step in with new takeaway services? We speak to Bloomberg's restaurant critic, Richard Vines. Photo of UK currency by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images.

UK government announces rescue package for the economy

There have been more than 180,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus globally and over 7,100 deaths, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University. President Trump has warned the virus could tip the US into recession. The news followed yet another difficult day for financial markets. Stocks had their worst one-day declines in more than 30 years. We talk to Jared Bernstein, economic adviser to former vice president Joe Biden, and ask him what should be done to combat any potential slowdown. Meanwhile, Chris Low, of FHN Financial in New York, puts today's fall into a historical context. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Coronavirus: Trump says coronavirus crisis may last all summer

US President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency to help handle the growing outbreak of coronavirus. We hear from Chris Low at FTN Financial. And in Spain, the BBC's Guy Hedgecoe tells us that authorities in Madrid have ordered the compulsory closure of most shops and bars. We go on a workplace tour with Dr Jo Martin, president of the Royal College of Pathologists in the UK, to hear about sensible precautions workers can take against getting infected with Covid-19. Plus, as China reported just five new cases of the disease on Friday, Emily Feng of the US's National Public Radio tells us whether China is slowly starting to get back to work. And joining us throughout the programme is Meghan Woods from ABC Radio in Perth. Picture: President Trump by Drew Angerer for Getty Images

President Trump declares national emergency

More countries announce measures including school closures to stop the spread of COVID-19. We are asking if further countries should follow what France and Ireland have done today - or if they should keep schools open, which is what the UK'S Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced. Also, are tech workers too optimistic about the idealism they bring to their wokplaces? We look at recent walkouts by staff at major tech firms. ow lets talk about millennials . And new research in the United Kingdom has found that millennials from black, asian and minority ethnic groups are at a greater risk of being in unstable employment than their white peers . Lord Simon Wolley from Operation Black Vote one of the groups behind the findings. We discuss all this with guests Mehmal Sarfraz – a journalist based in Lahore - and Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe, the founder and President of Wiser Policy in Richmond Virginia. (Image: A young woman watches a televised address by French President Emmanuel Macron announcing measures to tackle coronavirus.Photo by Marc Piasecki/ Getty Images)

France and Ireland shut schools to stop virus spread

President Trump announces a ban on all travel between EU countries and the US to tackle the spread of coronavirus. Italy closes all shops except food stores and pharmacies, and India cancels all tourism visas. How can the global economy and the markets cope? We find out from financial experts, as well as those suffering from cancelled music events such as Coachella, and gaming events, such as E3, which has also been cancelled this year. Also, Harvey Weinstein, Hollywood director, has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for rape and sexual assault. Finally: why are we so obsessed with social media platform, Tik Tok? We discuss all this with guests Christine Spadafor – a management Consultant in Boston - and Jyoti Malhotra from the Print Website in Delhi (Image: US President Donald Trump addresses the Nation from the Oval Office about the widening novel coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis. Photo by Doug Mills / Getty Images)

US bans travel from EU to stop virus spread

The US State Department has told US citizens not to travel on cruise ships. We will look at how the industry has been left reeling from these latest government instructions. Italy meanwhile remains on lockdown as the country attempts to stop the spread of coronavirus gripping it currently. Wells Fargo, the bank that went bad, promises to Congress that it has turned the corner. We look at whether we - or Congress - can take its new chief executive at his word. We ask who will help out companies when coronavirus hits supply chains harder, from Kerstin Braun, President of Stenn Group, an international provider of trade finance. We talk about all this live with guests Yumiko Murakami from the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) in Tokyo, and Tony Nash, CEO and Founder of Complete Intelligence, a contextual artificial intelligence platform in Houston, Texas. (Picture: The Grand Princess cruise ship at the Port of Oakland in California. Credit: AFP)

US warns against cruise ship travel as industry reels

Stock markets were bound by fears of coronavirus and falling oil prices. A cruise ship that planned to take its passengers on a tour of South East Asian Ports comes home having visited none of them because of health fears. We also look at the motivations behind the free release of hugely popular - and profitable - Call of Duty: Warzone. We talk about all this live with Sushma Ramachandran, an independent business journalist and columnist for The Tribune newspaper in Delhi, and Peter Morici, economist at the University of Maryland in Washington. (Image: A Kuwaiti trader wearing a protective mask follows the market at the Boursa Kuwait stock exchange in Kuwait City. Photo by Yasser-Al-Zayyat / AFP / Getty Images)

Stock markets coronavirus fears continue

As the oil producers' cartel Opec tries to agree a cut in output to stave off falling prices, Dr. Sara Vakhshouri, president of SVB Energy International in Washington, considers the implications. We bring you the latest on the coronavirus and the impact it's having on financial markets, and workplaces around the world. How do bosses balance the welfare of their workers with the need to make profits? But in South Korea, more detailed public health information has been having some unintended consequences, as we hear from local reporter Nemo Kim. And ahead of International Women's Day on Sunday, we hear from India, where one woman has been fighting for a seat on the board of one of the country's most powerful conglomerates. Ed Butler is joined throughout the programme by Sharon Brettkelly, presenter of The Detail podcast on Radio New Zealand, from Auckland. (Picture: An oil refinery. Credit: AFP via Getty Images)

Oil prices slide after Opec deal collapses

As stock markets remain volatile on coronavirus, we look at some of the more personal impacts of a pandemic. Items such toilet roll and pasta are favourites for hoarders – expert Justin Wolfers, a professor of Economics at the University of Michigan, told us why hoarding reminds him of the financial crisis. Oil output may also be reduced as oil producing countries look to restrict supply in order to boost flagging prices – Ellen Wald is a consultant in the energy industry and tells us the mechanics of what could happen. And as female contestants in the US presidential race become scarcer, Courtney Weaver, a US political correspondent for the Financial Times, explains what it means for all parties involved. We discuss all this with live guests Paddy Hirsch, editor of the NPR podcast The Indicator from Planet Money, in Los Angeles, and Enda Curran, Chief Asia Economics Correspondent at Bloomberg News in Hong Kong. (Photo: Wuhan, China residents shop for groceries in face masks. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Coronavirus: The link between bank runs and toilet rolls

Italy has confirmed that it will shut all schools from Thursday for 10 days as it battles to contain the coronavirus outbreak. All schools and universities are to close until 15 March, officials said. We’ll hear from Alessia, a teacher and mother in Northern Italy, about the disruption to her community. After spending millions on his own campaign, Michael Bloomberg is dropping out of the 2020 US presidential race. Journalist Diane Brady takes a look at what his campaign means for the election in November. The BBC’s Ed Butler joins to talk us through his reporting with Business Daily on fresh evidence of the forced transportation of Uighur Muslims from Xinjiang province to provide forced labour in factories across China. Also in the programme, we will hear why lecturers have brought over 70 UK universities and colleges to a standstill. And as toymaker LEGO announced a rise in profits, Dave Schefcik of the website The Brothers Brick explains the brand’s enduring appeal. We discuss all this with David Kuo, stock market analyst in Singapore and Christine Spadafor, entrepreneur, management consultant and advisor to boards of directors in Boston. (Image: A young tourist poses at Venice's Bridge of Sighs wearing a carnival mask and a protective face mask. Credit: Andrea Pattaro / AFP / Getty Images)

Italy closes schools amid coronavirus fears

Voters in fourteen US states have put in their choice for the Democratic presidential nominee, on what is known as "Super Tuesday". Journalist Erin Delmore tells us how crucial this day is in determining who will become the next US president. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates across the US, to combat the damage to the economy from coronavirus. The BBC’s Samira Hussain tells us how historic the move is and if it will cushion against economic blows resulting from the spread of the virus. Plus, we look at the surprising example of one small town in England that’s fighting the decline of the high street, harnessing the power of its local entrepreneurs. We discuss all this with Alison Schrager, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute in New York, and Madhavan Narayanan, freelance writer and former senior editor at Hindustan Times in Delhi. (Image: Voters at the polling booth in Los Angeles. Credit: Robyn Beck/ AFP / Getty Images)

Super Tuesday:14 US states head to the Democratic polls

The Bank of Japan, Bank of England and European Central Bank all pledged to increase liquidity to help economies through any disruption caused by the Covid-19 virus. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

Financial markets recover after worst week in a decade

US markets have suffered their worst week since the global financial crisis of 2008, as fears over the impact of the coronavirus continued to grip investors; we hear from Chris Low at FTN Financial in New York. The coronavirus outbreak has exposed the economic vulnerabilities of Australia, a country heavily dependent on trade with China. Bilateral ties may be lucrative, but they are complicated as the BBC’s Phil Mercer reports from Sydney. Tattoos were once seen as a sign of rebellion and edginess but are now a firm fixture on high streets from Stockholm to Milan. But does the popularity of tattoos translate into social acceptability or could you be damaging your career prospects? The BBC's Elizabeth Hotson’s been finding out. And we're joined throughout the programme by Peter Ryan, ABC's Senior Business Correspondent in Sydney. Photo description: New York Stock Exchange Photo by Scott Heins/Getty Images

Global shares suffer worst week since financial crisis

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