"This is the worst public health crisis for a generation"

UK PM Boris Johnson says it is "not right" to compare coronavirus to flu, adding "many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time" as the virus spreadshttps://t.co/0jp2YH9bl2 #CoronavirusPandemic pic.twitter.com/WriDAlPjIT

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) March 12, 2020

On balance I preferred ‘get Brexit done’ to ‘your loved ones will die’.

— Matt Haig (@matthaig1) March 12, 2020

Coronavirus: as many as 10,000 in Britain may already have it, says PM https://t.co/OdTuqWLNgD

— The Guardian (@guardian) March 12, 2020

BREAKING: Another Conservative MP is in self-isolation tonight with a cough and temperature. They’ve asked that I don’t identify them yet, but tell me the PM must step up action. “We must social distance”, they say. Growing concern that Britain is out on a limb with its response.

— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) March 12, 2020

-Britain’s approach
-Everyone else’s approach #COVID19
Via ⁦@BBCNewsnight⁩ pic.twitter.com/JiLgiUPKop

— Paul Johnson (@paul__johnson) March 12, 2020

Spoke to school principal in Milan today. He said now was the time to close schools in NI and Ireland to stop #coronavirus spread. Kids being taught virtually via @Google classroom. Not losing out on education. We could be Italy in two weeks. Is it time to #CloseTheSchools here? pic.twitter.com/K7seUGwJ8y

— Leona O'Neill (@LeonaONeill1) March 10, 2020

"I think what the Republic has announced is quite extreme. There isn't the scientific evidence there for closing schools."

Dr Lindsay Broadbent – a virologist from Queen's University says the Irish Gov "has overreacted in some ways".#BBCTheview | @MarkCarruthers7 pic.twitter.com/HXgKhE6z0a

— bbctheview (@bbctheview) March 12, 2020

spare a thought for

– roughly 10m households in Britain with ZERO savings

– another 3m households with less than £1,500 of savings

not being able to work for a couple of weeks or even months could impose severe hardship on a hell of a lot of peoplehttps://t.co/rVocstlWA5

— Jim Pickard (@PickardJE) March 12, 2020

The coronavirus has exposed Britain's disgraceful lack of sick pay and employment rights. The government has been forced to act – but its measures are woefully insufficient and will leave millions forced to work even if they fall sick. https://t.co/LrD15Lc0yz

— Tribune (@tribunemagazine) March 12, 2020

Arsenal vs Brighton on Saturday has been postponed after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for coronavirus.

More: https://t.co/ZdutAuxSYw pic.twitter.com/hSZxup87Lx

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) March 12, 2020

The Premier League will hold an "emergency club meeting" on Friday morning regarding future fixtures in the wake of Mikel Arteta being diagnosed with coronavirus.

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 13, 2020

U.S. stock market suffers worst crash since 1987, as Americans wake up to a new normal of life https://t.co/l7N4MAHinV

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 13, 2020

President Trump will not be tested for the coronavirus after coming into contact with a Brazilian official who tested positive for the virus just days after a Mar-a-Lago visit, the White House said on Thursday https://t.co/oMMlRrlUal

— NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) March 12, 2020

Trump’s coronavirus ban on travel from the EU is backfiring already | Jonathan Freedland https://t.co/yVSXhGCZMA

— Morgan Fairchild (@morgfair) March 12, 2020

Ari Fleischer: I regret to say that I thought the President’s speech to the nation last night was not reassuring… It appeared to me that he had barely seen it before he read it off the teleprompter pic.twitter.com/bYnt6HdcO8

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) March 12, 2020

"Trump claimed that more than 100,000 people had requested tickets for the potential Tampa rally, an impossibility since the campaign had not yet announced the event or made tickets available. A campaign spokesman declined to comment" https://t.co/xyNfuqZFxR

— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) March 12, 2020

NY AG Orders Alex Jones To Stop Selling Unapproved ‘Fake Coronavirus Treatments’ https://t.co/2HsT5GRtr1 via @TPM

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) March 13, 2020

Throwing your hands up and saying both sides are bad and nobody can trust anybody is not good journalism.

Saying those who are concerned because the president has downplayed the severity of the virus are overreacting and equal to those shrugging at it is not good journalism. https://t.co/c2YdsPvWas

— Nathan McDermott (@natemcdermott) March 12, 2020

I imagine all the closures and cancellations give people a sense of ominousness. But it's really an amazing act of social solidarity: We're sacrificing so we can give nurses, doctors and hospitals a fighting chance. Start from there and hopefully we can figure out the rest.

— Matt Pearce 🦅 (@mattdpearce) March 12, 2020

It is a small world after all. https://t.co/y3wS3CDAOz

— SIVA VAIDHYANATHAN🗽🤘🏽 (@sivavaid) March 13, 2020

Election live updates: Sanders wins California; he and Biden criticize Trump’s handling of coronavirus outbreak https://t.co/9arjbEoYmi

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 12, 2020

when historians write about the last hour they will begin by noting the 2008 republican vp nominee was rapping on tv dressed as a bear, then the network cut to trump announcing coronavirus flight suspensions, then tom hanks got it & the nba suspended pic.twitter.com/QlJDDHMWtS

— David Mack (@davidmackau) March 12, 2020

Belgium (finally) takes drastic measures against #COVID19: Prime Minister @sophie_wilmes announces schools are suspended, recreational activities are canceled, restaurants/cafes/discos must be closed. Shops closed for the weekend (?!). pic.twitter.com/WNDaBoA1X7

— Teri Schultz (@terischultz) March 12, 2020

Spain announces package to tackle 'tsunami' coronavirus impact https://t.co/worAKzPNTN pic.twitter.com/zBPLEWSqnN

— Reuters (@Reuters) March 12, 2020

An expert team of nine members with 31 tons of medical supplies from China arrived at Italy on Thursday night (local time). #coronavirus #Covid_19 pic.twitter.com/UASzg5QSEB

— China Daily (@ChinaDaily) March 12, 2020

my coronavirus plan: the government should manufacture these and give them out for free https://t.co/30S5V2PchJ

— Max Read (@max_read) March 12, 2020