Dr. Sylvue Briand, director, Global Infections Hazard Preparedness for World Health Organisation, WHO has said that coronavirus, a fast-spreading outbreak that has killed 427 people and threatened economic supply chains around the world is epidemic, not a pandemic.

Hong Kong reported its first coronavirus death on Tuesday, the second outside mainland China from a fast-spreading outbreak that has killed 427 people and threatened economic supply chains around the world.

But after Shanghai’s main market lost nearly $400 billion the previous day, global and Chinese markets bounced, with both Europe and metals enjoying their best sessions of the year.

On the ground, the bad news was relentless.

READ ALSO: WHO declares coronavirus outbreak global health emergency

Chinese-ruled Macau, the world’s biggest gambling hub, asked casino operators to close for two weeks to help curb the virus.

And in the latest major corporate hit, Hyundai Motor said it would gradually suspend production at South Korean factories because of supply chain disruptions.

Hong Kong’s first fatality was a 39-year-old man with an underlying illness who had visited China’s Wuhan city, the virtually quarantined epicenter of the outbreak.

China, meanwhile, reported a record daily jump in deaths of 64 to 425. The only other death outside mainland China was a man who died in the Philippines last week after visiting Wuhan.

Total infections in mainland China rose to 20,438, and there have been nearly 200 cases elsewhere across 24 countries and China’s special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

Thailand’s tally of infections jumped to 25, the highest outside China, while Singapore’s rose to 24, four of those from local contagion as opposed to visitors from China.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the flu-like virus a global emergency and experts say much is still unknown, including its mortality rate and transmission routes.

Such uncertainties have spurred strong measures by some countries – offending Beijing’s communist government which has called for calm, fact-based responses instead of scaremongering.

The deluge of misinformation on social media – from a recommendation to eat more onions to a warning of spread via a video game – has led Asian governments to hit back with 16 arrests, fines, and fake news laws, alarming free speech advocates.

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