A currency trader at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank in Seoul.
In London, Europe’s financial capital, the Canary Wharf district was unusually quiet. S&P Global’s large office stood empty after the company sent its 1,200 staff home, while HSBC asked around 100 people to work from home after a worker tested positive for the illness. More than 2,000 people were stranded on the Grand Princess cruise ship after it was barred from returning to port in San Francisco because at least 35 people aboard developed flu-like symptoms. Test kits were delivered at sea to the vessel.
Airline and travel stocks have been among the worst affected as people cancelled non-essential travel. Norwegian Air Shuttle, the hardest-hit stock among European carriers, has fallen almost 70% since the start of February. Yields on long-dated US Treasury bonds fell to record lows, while gold was on course for its biggest weekly gain since 2011 as investors fled to assets seen as safe havens.