Canadian technology firms Shopify Inc and Blackberry Ltd are developing a mobile contact testing app for the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday.

California on Thursday ordered residents to wear masks in "most settings outside the home," saying the new rule was necessary because too many Californians were neglecting to cover their faces during the coronavirus pandemic.

California health officials on Thursday ordered residents to wear face masks in "most settings outside the home," saying the new rule was necessary because too many Californians were neglecting to cover their faces.

The number of people who died from coronavirus infection in France rose by 28 to 29,603 on Thursday, the same increase as Wednesday, but the number of new confirmed cases crept up again to reach a five-day high.

Iran is approaching 10,000 deaths from the coronavirus outbreak in the country, according to official figures from the Ministry of Health.

Canada officially racked up 100,000 cases of the novel coronavirus on Thursday and although the outbreak is slowing, health experts said major challenges remain.