LONDON/BEIJING (March 19): The world's richest nations poured unprecedented aid into the global economy on Thursday as coronavirus cases ballooned in the new epicentre Europe, with the number of deaths in Italy outstripping those in mainland China where the virus originated. Britain, which has reported 128 deaths, was closing dozens of underground stations in London and ordering schools shut from Friday. Italian soldiers transported corpses overnight from an overwhelmed cemetery in Europe's worst-hit nation where 3,405 people have died, more than in mainland China. The United States, where President Donald Trump had initially played down the coronavirus threat, saw infections surpass 9,400 across all 50 states and deaths reach at least 151. China was to unleash trillions of yuan of fiscal stimulus and South Korea pledged 50 trillion won (US$39 billion).

Source: The Edge Markets March 19, 2020 19:07 UTC