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The number of coronavirus cases around the world has gone up by more than 10,000 in a single day according to the latest report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), dated 15 March.
Governments are scrambling to stop the spread of Covid-19 by introducing travel bans and restrictions, many of which are starting 16 March.
Airlines, cruise firms and holiday companies are cancelling trips at an unprecedented rate.
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As travel bans around the world are being introduced, airlines are having to cancel scores of flights.
Some are already announcing a huge number of job cuts.
And with huge losses predicted in the coming year, airlines are now pleading with the UK government for support.
Oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance member airlines – normally competitors – have joined forces to call for support from governments and stakeholders.
The three global alliances represents 60 airlines around the world, equating to half of global airline capacity.
As well as the suspension of airport slot rules, which has already taken place in Europe and the US, they are asking airports to re-evaluate landing fees and charges.
The alliances adds that the existing predictions from International Air Transport Association (Iata) do not take into account the new travel restrictions that have been put into place, such as the US banning flights from Europe.
The impact of coronavirus is similarly affecting domestic rail travel in the UK.
Train companies are said to be in talks with the government about possible bail outs as passenger numbers fall.
The current franchise agreements govern everything from the number of services rail firms must run to how much they can charge for tickets. Now, operators are in talks with the government about the possibility of renegotiating some of the existing contracts in light of falling passenger numbers, the BBC reports.
The changes could range from operating fewer services to amending schedules of payment between the rail firms and the government.
A number of travel bans are coming into force today, including the US and Spain.
The US banned travel from Schengen area countries last week, with the ban since extended to cover the UK and Ireland from midnight 16 March. It will last for 30 days.
Spain declared a State of Emergency at the weekend, which is expected to last for 15 days. The FCO has advised all non-essential travel to the whole country.
Plans for Heathrow's third runway have now been put on "deep freeze" due to coronavirus, the UK's leading airline association has said.
The plans could now be pushed back for several years due to the possibility of a global recession following the pandemic.
It could be 2030 or later before work begins on the contentious expansion.
Ryanair is expecting to ground the majority of its fleet across Europe over the next seven to 10 days due to the travel restrictions put in place across Europe this week.
The airline said that it could also reduce seat capacity by 80 per cent across its entire network, and could ground their entire fleet in April and May.
Ryanair said it is "taking immediate action to reduce operating expenses". This includes grounding surplus aircraft and introducing voluntary leave and temporarily suspending employment contracts.
For those affected by cancellations and travel bans, The Independent has put together a guide on what you need to know now.
The essentials include whether your travel insurance will cover you and what happens if your flight has been cancelled.
Australia and New Zealand have both banned cruise ships in response to coronavirus.
The Australian ban will last for 30 days from 15 March, and affects all cruise ships sailing in from foreign ports. In additional, all passengers arriving into the country are required to self-isolate for 14 days.
Meanwhile in New Zealand, cruise ships have been banned until at least June 30. The ban came into effect from midnight on 14 March. In additional, all foreign nationals arriving from other countries will need to self-isolate for 14 days.
It comes as a number of cruise lines voluntarily suspended sailings for the next couple of months.
Transport for London (TfL) said that in the past week, tube passengers are down 19 per cent while bus passengers are down 10 per cent compared to the same week in 2019.
There are three main causes, the top one being a significant fall in the number of visitors to London.
The number of firms asking staff to work from home has also affected passenger numbers.
Finally, TfL said that it has seen a "continued underlying softness of demand, especially off-peak", which it has attributed to consumers being more cautious with their spending habits.
Simon Kilonback, TfL’s Chief Finance Officer, said:
Our best forecast, based on government scenarios, is that the financial impact of the coronavirus could be up to £500m.
We manage our finances prudently, and have reduced our deficit hugely in recent years. This means that we can manage the impacts on our passenger numbers and finances that are currently envisaged.
But, given the nature of the situation, we will be looking to the Government to provide appropriate financial support.
The FCO has added Belize to the list of countries that British nationals should avoid non-essential travel to.
This is in response to new travel restrictions introduced by the government of Belize, which states that travellers who have been to a number of high risk countries in the past 30 days will now be barred from entry.
The countries in the list include the UK, other countries in Europe, as well as China, Hong Kong, Iran, Japan and South Korea.
The full list of countries with travel restrictions in place is here:
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