Coronavirus: Countries enforce mass closures to stem spread

  • 2020-03-13 10:08:47
Schools have been closed, sports events cancelled and cultural institutions shut around the world as countries try to stem the coronavirus outbreak. In the US, all major sport has been suspended and Broadway performances are off for a month. And France is one of the latest countries to announce closure of all schools, universities and nurseries. President Emmanuel Macron described the outbreak as France's most serious health crisis for a century. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has begun 14-day self-isolation after his wife Sophie tested positive for coronavirus. He is not showing symptoms. More than 125,000 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in 118 countries around the world, according to the World Health Organization. The total number of deaths is more than 4,600. Shares prices around the world continue to plunge. On Friday, Asian markets slumped, with Japan's Nikkei 225 falling 10% but recovering to end down 6.1%. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong fell by 6.9% but ended the day just 1.6% down. This follows losses in Europe and the US, where Wall Street stocks plummeted about 10% in their worst day since the 1987 Black Monday crash, a fall mirrored on London's FTSE

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