Stock markets plunged Thursday as sheer panic stalked many parts of the world in the face of a spreading COVID-19 epidemic. The Toronto TSE sank more than 500, the Dow Jones more than 800 in mid-morning trading. Within the past 24 hours, seven countries — Brazil, Georgia, Greece, Macedonia, Norway, Pakistan and Romania — have reported cases for the first time, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at a daily briefing. For the past two days, Tedros said, the number of new cases reported in the rest of the world has exceeded the number of new cases reported in China.
