Governments, global companies and international health organizations rushed to contain the spread of a SARS-like coronavirus that has claimed more than 100 lives in China, with the number of cases soaring.
As containment efforts intensify, the likelihood of the virus disrupting global businesses and the world's second-largest economy appears to be growing. China has extended the Lunar New Year holiday, while companies are shutting stores and evacuating workers. More than 50 million people remain effectively locked down by travel restrictions in Wuhan and Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak.
The spread of the coronavirus has reignited concerns over global growth, with stocks continuing a sell-off in Asia on Tuesday. China's markets remained closed for the holiday but the country's securities regulator told investors to evaluate the impact of the virus "rationally."