Virus Epidemic Enters New Phase as Cases Outside China Multiply
South Korea’s cases have soared past 200. Those for Singapore and Japan have topped 85. And then there are the 600-plus from a quarantined cruise ship in Japan.
As the cases of coronavirus infections mount, worries are growing that the outbreak is entering a concerning next phase. Where China had the vast majority of cases and deaths before, there are now signs that infections are spreading more rapidly within other Asian countries beyond its borders.
For now, China still remains the center of the crisis, with 75,000 infections. But as the number of net new cases there declines, attention is shifting to the risks in other countries where the growth in infections is accelerating. Anxiety is already creeping into global financial markets, as investors weigh the impact of a wider regional outbreak on economic growth and corporate earnings.