A
South Korean health worker sprays disinfectant as part of preventive
measures against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at a
residential area near the Daegu branch of the Shincheonji Church of
Jesus in Daegu on February 27, 2020.
JUNG YEON-JE | AFP via Getty Images
6:15 pm: European stocks slide 2% as coronavirus outbreak spreads to more countries
European stocks
plummeted further on Thursday as the rapid spread of the
coronavirus continues to dominate market sentiment.
The
pan-European Stoxx 600 fell 2% during European trading hours, with
travel and leisure stocks plunging 3.6% to lead losses as almost all
sectors and major
bourses traded sharply in the red.
The spread of
the
coronavirus — which has now infected more than 81,000 people and
killed over 2,700 — continues to rattle markets and policymakers around
the world.
— Elliot Smith & Holly Ellyatt
5:45 pm: South Korea confirms another record spike of coronavirus cases, outnumbers China for daily infections
South
Korea confirmed 505 new cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, Yonhap
news agency reported, bringing the total number of infections nationwide
to 1,766.
It marks the sharpest daily spike yet in South Korea, outnumbering the 433 new cases in China.
Most
of the country’s new infections stemmed from the city of Daegu, Yonhap
reported, citing the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Health
authorities began testing more than 210,000 members of a religious sect
at the center of South Korea’s epidemic for coronavirus on Thursday. — Sam Meredith
5:30 pm: Governor of Italy’s virus-hit Lombardy region in isolation after staff member gets coronavirus
The
governor of the region of Lombardy, which is at the epicenter of
Italy’s
coronavirus outbreak, has placed himself in isolation after one
of his staff members tested positive for COVID-19.
In a Facebook post
published late Wednesday,
Attilio Fontana said he would remain in quarantine for the next two
weeks after an aide tested positive for the deadly flu-like virus. All
members of the team were subsequently tested, with all results coming
back negative for COVID-19, Fontana said.
Italy has reported more than 300 cases of the
coronavirus in Lombardy, with 10 deaths in the region.
The
country, which has recorded the worst contagion in Europe so far, has
reported more than 400 cases of the
coronavirus nationwide, with 12
deaths.
— Sam Meredith.
5:15 pm: UK reports two further cases of coronavirus, brings total to 15
The
U.K. has confirmed two further people have contracted the coronavirus,
bringing the total number of cases in the country to 15.
The deadly flu-like virus was passed on in Italy and Tenerife, according to England’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty.
The
patients have been transferred to specialist National Health Service
infection centers in Royal Liverpool Hospital and the Royal Free
Hospital, London, Whitty said Thursday. — Sam Meredith
4:22 pm: Man returning from Italy is first confirmed case in Denmark
Denmark
has confirmed its first case of the new coronavirus. The Danish Health
Authority said a man returned with his family from a ski holiday in the
Italian region of Lombardy on Monday, and was found to have flu-like
symptoms such as cough and fever.
The man later tested positive, while the tests for his wife and son came back negative.
This
is Denmark’s first confirmed case of COVID-19, the health authority
said, adding that it does not change the country’s current low-risk
assessment of the virus. — Joanna Tan
3:50 pm: Estonia confirms first case of coronavirus
The
spread of the new coronavirus continues throughout Europe with Estonia
reporting its first case. Authorities in the country said the infected
man had recently returned from Iran. Estonia’s Minister of Social
Affairs, Tanel Kiik, told public broadcaster ETV that the person had
been isolated, Reuters reported.
Iran, meanwhile, confirmed
Thursday morning that 22 people had died from the virus — up from a
total of 19 on Wednesday. The number of people with confirmed cases of
the coronavirus in the country has hit 141, the official news agency
IRNA said, according to Reuters. — Katrina Bishop
1:57 pm: Saudi Arabia suspends visas for pilgrimage
Saudi Arabia will
temporarily suspend
the entry of foreigners for pilgrimage and tourism purposes, the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced. The decision comes as health
authorities take precautionary measures to prevent COVID-19 from
reaching the kingdom, according to the ministry.
Saudi Arabia has
not reported any cases of the new
coronavirus, according to the World
Health Organization’s latest situation report. The kingdom urged its
citizens to “exercise caution before traveling to countries experiencing
Coronavirus outbreaks,” the ministry said in a tweet. —
Joanna Tan
1:35 pm: Australian prime minister warns world is entering a ‘pandemic phase’ of the coronavirus
“There
is every indication that the world will soon enter a pandemic phase of
the coronavirus,” Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison said during a
press conference in Canberra. “In the event of a pandemic, the
challenge... the goal is to slow it’s spread if it gets to Australia,
but with the number of countries that are now affected, we have to be
realistic about the likelihood of containment strategies into the weeks
ahead.”
As a result, he said, the country will be implementing its
emergency response plan. Morrison also announced that the travel ban
for China will be extended for an additional week and will be monitored
on a weekly basis. The deadly virus has infected at least 23 people in
Australia, according to the World Health Organization’s latest report. —
Joanna Tan
(This post was updated at 4:34 pm to
reflect that Australia left open the possibility of extending its travel
ban for China again)
1:15 pm: Standard Chartered says outbreak and slowing global growth could impact profit target
Standard
Chartered bank said recent headwinds including the coronavirus
outbreak, “will likely result in income growth in 2020 below our
medium-term 5-7% target range.” Other challenges the British lender
cited included lower interest rates, slower global economic growth and
Hong Kong’s economy.
“These headwinds are expected to be
transitory, but we now believe it will take longer to achieve our ROTE
(return on tangible equity) target of 10% than we previously envisaged,”
the bank said in its outlook when reporting earnings for the year that
ended Dec. 31, 2019. The bank’s Hong Kong-listed shares rose more than
2% on Thursday, after the earnings release. — Joanna Tan
11:19 am: Woman in Japan tests positive for twice
A resident of Osaka has
tested positive for the virus twice,
Reuters reported citing the
prefectural government. The woman, a
tour-bus guide in her forties, is the first person in the country to
test positive again after recovering, the news agency said citing a
government statement.
She first tested positive in January, but
was discharged on Feb. 1 after recovering, Reuters said. But the woman
tested positive again on Wednesday, the news agency reported citing
Osaka’s
prefectural government. As of Thursday, Japan has reported 186
confirmed cases, as authorities urged people not to avoid gathering in
large groups. —
Joanna Tan
11:09 am: AmCham China survey finds almost half of the respondents expect a decline in China revenue
The
American Chamber of Commerce in China revealed results from a flash
survey done between Feb. 17 and Feb. 20 with 169 member companies that
included large, medium and small-sized enterprises, many of them with
global operations. Nearly half of those respondents said they expect
2020 China revenues to decrease if businesses cannot return to the usual
before the end of April.
Almost 20% of the respondents said they
predicted 2020 revenues to decline more than 50% if the epidemic
extended through August. While many said it is still too soon to
determine the estimated cost of delays from quarantine measures
undertaken by Beijing to contain the spread of the infection, about 10%
said they were losing at least half-a-million yuan (about $71,000) per
day. — Roy Choudhury
10:56 am: South Korea central bank says virus outbreak raises growth uncertainty
Bank
of Korea kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 1.25%,
surprising markets. In its policy statement, the central bank said that
“uncertainties regarding the future growth path are high” due to the
impact of the outbreak. Infection cases have spiked in the country (see 9:05 am update), leaving authorities scrambling to ramp up measures to contain its spread.
Economists
at ANZ Research said they were lowering their 2020 GDP growth forecast
for South Korea from 2.3% to 1.9%. “Although the virus risks faced by
South Korea were initially limited to sectors related to China and
inbound tourists, the spike in local confirmed infections will now
exacerbate the strain on the economy via the tourism, consumption, and
production channels,” the economists wrote. — Roy Choudhury
10:06 am: JetBlue scraps change and cancellation fees because of coronavirus in a US first
JetBlue Airways in a surprise move Wednesday
became the first U.S. carrier to cut its change and cancellation fees for travelers concerned about the
coronavirus.
The
budget carrier’s unusual measure, which could pressure other airlines
to follow suit, comes during steep drop in airline stocks as investors
fret over the spread of the virus.
— Josephs
9:51 am: US raises travel alert level for South Korea
The U.S. State Department
raised its travel advisory for South Korea, from level 2 to level 3, which means “reconsider travel.” It cited the
coronavirus outbreak in South Korea.
That
comes days after the U.S. CDC also raised its alert level for travel to
South Korea, which means “avoid non-essential travel,” as there’s
widespread community transmission.
Infections in South Korea have been surging in the past week. As of Thursday morning, it reported a jump of 334 cases.
(see 9:05am update) — Weizhen Tan
9:30 am: CDC confirms first possible ‘community spread’ coronavirus case in US
9:25 am: China reports 433 more cases
China’s National Health Commission said there were 433 new confirmed cases and 29 additional deaths as of Feb. 26.
Of the new cases, 409 were in Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak. 26 of the 29 deaths were in Hubei.
That brings the country’s total to 78,497 cases, and 2,744 deaths. — Weizhen Tan
9:16 am: US and South Korea to postpone drills indefinitely
The
U.S. and South Korea have postponed joint military drills until further
notice, according to Reuters, citing defense officials in Seoul. The
decision comes as the outbreak continues to spread in South Korea. (see 9:05 am update).
On
Wednesday, the U.S. military said a soldier based in South Korea has
been infected — the first American service member to test positive for
the new coronavirus. — Weizhen Tan
9:05 am: South Korea reports 334 more cases
South
Korea confirmed a surge of 334 more cases on Thursday morning, bringing
the country’s total to 1,595, according to its Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
There were a total of 12 deaths as of Thursday morning, but no new fatalities.
More
than half of coronavirus cases in the country have been traced back to
the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu, the country’s fourth-largest
city. — Weizhen Tan
8:58 am: US colleges cancel study abroad programs
In the face of a global health emergency, thousands of U.S.
college students studying abroad are scrambling.
As the
coronavirus spreads through northern Italy, some schools, including Syracuse University and New York University,
announced they were closing their campuses
in Florence immediately. All Seton Hall University spring
study abroad
trips are also cancelled, according to a tweet by the university.
Italy
is second only to the U.K.
as the most popular destination to study
abroad, according to data from the Institute of International Education,
which has tracked the flow of international students since 1919.
However, in recent years, China has also become a popular destination
for American students, it said.
— Jessica Dickler
8:18 am: Japan dives more than 1% as US markets continue to slide
Japan
markets slid for the third day this week, as Wall Street also continued
tumbling as virus fears continue to grow. The Nikkei 225 fell 1.31% in
early trade, while the Topix declined 1.27%.
Dow futures traded fell 170 points and indicated a loss of nearly 200 points
at Thursday’s open.
— Weizhen Tan
7:46 am: IMF, World Bank considering scaling back meetings or holding them remotely
The
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank could hold their April
Spring Meetings remotely or even scale them back amid the growing
coronavirus outbreak, Reuters reported, citing sources.
The Spring
Meetings are scheduled for April 17 to 19, and 10,000 government
officials and other delegates globally are set to gather in Washington
D.C. — Weizhen Tan
All times below are in Eastern time.
7:20 pm: Trump says schools should prepare pandemic plans ‘just in case’
President
Donald Trump said schools should start preparing their pandemic plans
as a precaution in case the COVID-19 outbreak that’s rapidly spreading
through Asia, Europe and the Middle East takes hold in the U.S. “Every
aspect of our society should be prepared. I don’t think it’s going to
come to that,” Trump said. “I think schools should be preparing, get
ready just in case. The words are just in case. We don’t think we’re
going to be there. We don’t think we’re going to be anywhere close.”
Watch the press conference here. — Kopecki
6:50 pm: Trump says coronavirus risk to the American people ‘remains very low’
President Donald Trump addressed the nation on the
coronavirus outbreak, saying
the risk to the American public “remains very low.”
Trump said Vice President Mike Pence will be heading up the U.S.
response to any outbreak in the country. Trump announced the news
conference in a tweet Wednesday morning, shortly after returning from a
state visit to
India where he downplayed the threat of the virus to the
U.S. “We’re really down to probably 10″ cases, Trump told reporters
there.
The CDC has confirmed 60 cases in the U.S., 45 of which are
patients who were repatriated from Wuhan, China or the Diamond Princess
cruise ship that was quarantined off the coast of Japan and are
excluded from its official count.
Watch the press conference here. — Breuninger
5:47 pm: Germany says it can’t trace cases and is heading for an epidemic
Germany
is at the beginning of a
coronavirus epidemic after new cases sprung up
that can no longer be traced to the virus’s original source in China,
Health Minister Jens Spahn said. A total of five new cases of
coronavirus in the west and south of Germany — taking the country’s
total to around 20 — meant the disease appeared to be moving to a new
phase, Spahn told a news conference, urging health authorities and
employers to review their pandemic planning.
4:40 pm: Booking Holdings warns coronavirus will hit Q1 revenue
Online travel giant
Booking Holdings
said the outbreak of
coronavirus will damp travel demand and drive down
sales in the first quarter. The company, which operates
Booking.com, airfare-search site
Kayak.com
and others said its revenue could fall by as much as 9% on the year in
the first quarter. It expects travel bookings to drop by 10% to 15%.
“The
coronavirus has had a significant and negative impact across our
business during the 1st quarter. It is not possible to predict where,
and to what degree, outbreaks of the
coronavirus will disrupt travel
patterns,” the company said in an earnings filing. The company said its
forecast included wider ranges than usual because of the “high level of
uncertainty in forecasting the
coronavirus and its associated impact on
the company and the travel industry generally.” —
Josephs
12:15 pm: CDC confirms 59 US cases
The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 59 cases in the
U.S., a majority of which came from passengers repatriated from the
Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined off the coast of
Japan. The CDC updated its case count on its website late Tuesday. The
data
shows that 42 of the cases are attributed to the cruise ship, three
patients were infected in Wuhan and later evacuated to the U.S.
and the
rest
were largely infected while traveling overseas. Just two cases
were contracted through person-to-person contact in the U.S., the CDC
said.
— Kopecki
Read CNBC’s coverage from the U.S. overnight: U.S. confirms new case, Germany says its at the beginning of an epidemic
— CNBC’s Dawn Kopecki, Kevin Breuninger and Leslie Josephs contributed to this report.