Pope Francis, who cancelled a series of engagements last week after falling ill, has tested negative for coronavirus - amid an outbreak of the disease in Italy that has sickened 2,000 people.

Pope Francis (pictured today) prayed that clergymen would 'have the courage to go out and go to the sick people' as he celebrated Mass by himself at the Vatican this morning.

The footprints mark where people should stand to avoid close contact under the one-yard rule - which Italians were taking to heart by carrying rulers into bars and shops today.

Cardinal Angelo De Donatis has today issued a new decree, stating that some of Rome's churches will stay open, despite his initial order to close all of the religious sites just a day ago.

Speaking to daily Italian publication La Repubblica on Wednesday, the Pope said he had asked God to stop the epidemic in Italy 'with his hand'.

Pope Francis was seen delivering his weekly Angelus prayer to an empty Saint Peter's Square in the Vatican City this morning, as Italians stay home to combat the spread of coronavirus .

Some 5,476 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus across Italy, with more than 59,000 cases of the deadly virus confirmed.

Giuseppe Berardelli, 72, from Casigno in Italy's hardest-hit Lombardy region, died from coronavirus last week - but locals say he did not give up his respirator as was first reported.

Pope Francis was swabbed along with those who surround him yesterday, it has been reported. They all tested negative for coronavirus. The pope had a cold last month.

Pilgrims have been barred from retracing Jesus's steps in the Holy Land, with flights grounded and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre closed for the first time since 1349.

During Mass today the pope said the coronavirus recovery could not leave anyone behind. He spoke at the church of Santo Spirito in Sassia in Rome, Italy, to mark Divine Mercy Sunday.

Eliezer Grynfeld (pictured) died in Israel last week, leaving two children, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez used a vigil for victims of gun violence on Monday night to call Donald Trump a racist. 'I don't want to hear the question, 'Is this president racist?' anymore. He is,' she said.

Drew Barrymore's nearly 40-year film career was expanded earlier this year when she launched her Flower Home decor line. Now she has expanded into colorful kid-themed home decorations.

American shoppers spent a record $34.4billion on Super Saturday, the biggest single day in American retail history, but the weekend was marred by violent incidents at several locations.

A man (pictured) wearing a yellow face mask and a sign on his back reading, 'Caution, I have the Coronavirus,' walked into a Walmart store in Illinois (inset) and sprayed Lysol on merchandise.

Donald Trump insisted Sunday that people stop panic buying and hoarding food and goods as the coronavirus death toll in the U.S. hit 63 and cases neared 3,500. 

Mike Pence has promised that Americans will get thousands of coronavirus tests per day from now on after the government switched to a faster method, amid widespread criticism of efforts so far.

Stop & Shop welcomed seniors to its first seniors-only shopping hour on Thursday morning as Walmart added its name to the list of stores offering designated shopping hours to people over 60.

Amazon, Walmart and other retailers have all experienced a huge increase in online orders as the coronavirus continues to spread across the US.

President Donald Trump has expressed his gratitude for companies like Walmart and FedEx that have been 'working nonstop' to help Americans amid the coronavirus outbreak.

South Carolina mother Courtney Watts Doster has shared her baby Emmett's battle against coronavirus in a desperate Facebook appeal where she warned COVID-19 can strike even the very young.

Justin Rhodes, 31, told viewers in the Facebook Live stream he was largely asymptomatic, except for a 'tickly throat', while walking around the Walmart in Albermarle, North Carolina, last week.

The estate of Wando Evans filed the suit in Illinois on Monday, saying the Walmart store south of Chicago was not properly cleaned and employees were not given masks.

Jeff Wittenbrink, 59, who represents the Life Tabernacle Church, is now on oxygen at Baton Rogue General, struggling to breathe after coming down with the virus.

State Health officials shutdown a Walmart Supercenter in Aurora, Colorado, after two employees and spouse linked to the store died of coronavirus this month

The Walmart Supercenter, located in the city of Worcester, was issued a cease and desist order by the city after suffering a 'cluster' of COVID-19 cases over the last three weeks.

Sandra Kunz, 72, who worked at the Walmart Supercenter in Aurora, Colorado, passed away from complications related to the coronavirus on April 20.

A greenhouse where workers pack strawberries, cucumbers and tomatoes to be sold in grocery stores including Walmart has become the latest COVID-19 hotspot in New York.

Controversy erupted at the White House on Monday after officials had to issue a correction regarding the gender of Conan, the hero dog who helped run down terror leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Somalia, South Sudan and Syria have been ranked as the world's most corrupt nations in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index report released on Thursday.

Jemima Kelly tapped in on a London bus in October using Apple Pay on her phone to pay for the £1.50 ticket between zone one and two. Her phone died and she was charged £476.

TfL has implemented the stringent cleaning measures across the Underground and bus network in the Capital in a bid to cope with the increasing threat posed by coronavirus.

The former Love Island star, 26, was seen making her way out of the terminal at the English capital's Heathrow Airport as she sported the blue protective item on Thursday.

The £18 billion Crossrail project, which is already three years behind schedule, has been delayed again to help stop the spread of coronavirus, according to Transport for London.

Transport for London will place 7,000 staff on furlough from Monday to save an estimated £15.8million every four weeks, as a result of a huge reduction in passenger numbers.

Herbert von Karajan, who died in 1989, shifted 200 million albums - an astonishing figure for a classical musician.

Sometimes hype is just that; hype. But occasionally it's true.

Mick McCarthy's future as Republic of Ireland manager is uncertain amid the impact of coronavirus on the fixture calendar. The 61-year-old's contract runs until the end of the Euro 2020 campaign.

Terrified Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy has been made to go into full isolation after his close neighbours tested positive for coronavirus.

The late veteran newspaper diarist Kenneth Rose reveals more of the Royal Family's intriguing secrets in his private journals.

The 93-year-old's decision to cover her hands came as the Government warned the death rate for  people infected is 'significantly ramped up' among the elderly.

Buckingham Palace announced that the 93-year-old head of state will decamp to the Berkshire royal residence on Thursday - a week earlier than she usually does for Easter Court.

Officials at Buckingham Palace revealed this afternoon that a 'number of other options are being considered, in line with relevant guidance' ahead of the event on June 13.

The Queen has recorded a special televised broadcast about the coronavirus outbreak from Windsor Castle, which will air this Sunday at 8pm.

Christina Thygesen, from Stevenage, Hertfordshire told how she bought a £3.50 baby bathrobe from Tesco for her pooch in a bid to stop him rubbing his wet fur against her newly painted walls.

Shortages previously limited to anti-bacterial hand gel and hand soap have spread to cupboard items such as rice, pasta, couscous, Pot Noodles, bottled water, toilet roll and pet food.

One disgusted customer at the Sainsbury's store in Mansfield, photographed the display containing toilet rolls, crisps, water, and pasta as well as 'mega packs' of detergents and disinfectant.

Retail expert Bruno Monteyne said a major UK outbreak of the virus would result in 'panic buying, empty shelves and food riots' but that at this stage retailers would revert to 'feed the nation' status.

In a forum for Tesco employees in the UK the drivers questioned whether or not it was a fair request to be asked to take food shopping into the homes of those who could have the virus.