Coronavirus updates: First case in Hamburg; stock markets keep plunging

February 28, 2020

Major stock market indices in US and Europe dropped by an average of 4%
Hamburg confirmed it first case of COVID-19 as infections in Germany and France doubled over the last two days
China reported 327 new cases on Thursday, the lowest daily figure since January
Number of South Korea cases cross over 2,000 — the highest outside China
The World Health Organization has said the coronavirus epidemic was at a “decisive point”
At least 82,500 people have now been infected globally, with over 2,800 dead

All updates in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC/GMT).

01:52 Hong Kong and Shanghai markets fall at the first few minutes of trade on Friday. The Hang Seng (Hong Kong) dropped 1.98%, while the Shanghai Composite index shed 2.23%

01:40 Health workers in South Korea have began checks on more than 210,000 members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a secretive group often accused of being a cult. The Christian group has been linked with around half of the country’s cases.

These checks are expected to further increase the number of infections in South Korea.

01:10 South Korea has confirmed 256 new cases on Friday taking the total number of infections to 2,022. Most of the cases have been reported in Daegu. No new deaths were reported.

00:31 Asian stock markets dropped at the opening bell on Friday, after fierce declines in the US and Europe on Thursday. The sweeping sell-off has investors worried about the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Here are the major indices that recorded a slump:

Nikkei (Japan) -3.08% (shortly after opening)
Topix (Japan) -2.98% (shortly after opening)
Dow Jones (US) -4.42% (all other markets currently closed)
SP 500 (US) -4.42%
Nasdaq (US) -4.61%
FTSE 100 (UK) -3.49%
DAX (Germany) -3.19%
CAC 40 (France) -3.32%
Oil -4.90%

Read more: Coronavirus: Are less-developed EU countries more susceptible?

00:26 China confirmed 327 new coronavirus case on Thursday, down from 433 cases a day earlier. The latest figure takes the total number of confirmed cases in mainland China to 78,824. The number of dead in China also increased by 44 on Thursday, and now stands at 2,788.

00:15 Hamburg confirmed its first coronavirus case on Thursday. The patient, a staffer at the University Medical Center, or UKE, in the city’s Eppendorf district, worked in the pediatric ward. The man came to work on Monday and Tuesday. He called in sick the following day and came in on Thursday as a patient.

“The patient is currently in a stable condition in isolation at home,” the University Medical Center or UKE said in a statement.

The children and patients he came in contact with will remain in isolation for 14 days, as will his colleagues. “There have been no further admissions at the affected station,” the hospital said.

adi/msh (Reuters, AP, dpa, AFP)

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-updates-first-case-in-hamburg-stock-markets-keep-plunging/a-52566672?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf