Coronavirus latest: Trump closes US-Canada border; stocks slide; Glastonbury and Eurovision cancelled

Wall Street opened sharply lower and European shares fell, as British PM Boris Johnson said every worker will receive support

British epidemiologist Neil Ferguson, who advised Boris Johnson, is self-isolating after developing Covid-19 symptoms

Reading Time:14 minutes

A passenger in protective suit arrives in Hong Kong, as travellers take extra precautions following the outbreak of the new Covid-19 coronavirus. Photo: Reuters

Published: 12:20am, 18 Mar 2020Updated: 9:03pm, 25 Nov 2020

Stocks fell sharply on Wednesday and Hong Kong confirmed 14 new coronavirus cases, the highest number of new cases in a single day, with 13 of them from overseas arrivals in the city. There are now 181 cases and four deaths in the city.

This came as the United States pushes a US$1 trillion package to fight the economic threat posed by the deadly coronavirus, while China’s health authorities signalled a potential new milestone in the fight against the pandemic’s spread.

China’s National Health Commission spokesman Mi Feng said there were no new “suspected” domestic cases on the mainland, but added that caution was still needed against imported cases.

He said it was also necessary to “vigorously carry out international cooperation to take joint responses”.

His comments came as China confirmed just one new mainland domestic case on Wednesday and 12 imported cases. The total number of infections was 80,894, while 69,601 people have recovered. The death toll was 3,237, with 11 new deaths reported Wednesday in Hubei province, ground zero of China’s outbreak.

Asian hotspots China and South Korea have seen new infections and deaths level out in recent weeks as numbers ballooned across Europe, which has shut its borders.

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Coronavirus latest: Trump closes US-Canada border; stocks slide; Glastonbury and Eurovision cancelled

Wall Street opened sharply lower and European shares fell, as British PM Boris Johnson said every worker will receive support British epidemiologist Neil Ferguson, who advised Boris Johnson, is self-isolating after developing Covid-19 symptoms

Wall Street opened sharply lower and European shares fell, as British PM Boris Johnson said every worker will receive support

British epidemiologist Neil Ferguson, who advised Boris Johnson, is self-isolating after developing Covid-19 symptoms