Reinsurance company Swiss Re, which employs hundreds of people in London, has asked its staff across the globe to work from home in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Hundreds of staff working at its 30 St Mary Axe office (known as the Gherkin) in the City have been ordered to work remotely as a precautionary measure to safeguard employees in the UK. The insurance group’s offices in the Square Mile are spread across two floors. It also has offices in Manchester and Folkestone.