Coronavirus: US adds UK to travel ban as infection numbers rise - BBC News
The move on 14 March came as President Donald Trump confirmed he has been tested for coronavirus.
A US pharmacy warning that hand sanitisers may be in short stock Image caption: A US pharmacy warning that hand sanitisers may be in short stock

Stockpiling and panic buying seems to have stepped up a notch over the past few days, since President Donald Trump banned visitors from Europe's Schengen area and announced a national emergency.

Masks and hand sanitisers have been missing from shelves for weeks - now pharmacies have started putting up signs outside the shop doors, pre-emptively warning people they are out of stock. Even sanitising wipes and thermometers are limited to two or four per customer - and appear to be sold out on most days.

People have also been stocking up on food in anticipation of the need to self-isolate or work from home. At one local supermarket, the check out queue was so long it wound the entire way around the store - all the way to the front of the shop, and then back to near the cashiers - with customers waiting about 20 minutes before they could pay for their groceries.

I asked the cashier if it was normally this busy on a Saturday morning. She replied with a resigned smile: "It's virus busy."