BANGKOK (AP) — The world’s largest economies delivered more worrisome cues Monday as anxiety over the virus outbreak sent stock and oil prices plunging and closed sites from the Sistine Chapel to Saudi Arabian schools.
An Emirati trader looks at the latest numbers in red on the screen, at the Dubai Financial Market in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, March 9, 2020. Saudi Arabia closed off air and sea travel to nine countries affected by the new coronavirus Monday as Mideast stock markets tumbled over fears about the widening outbreak’s effect on the global economy. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili) 
An Emirati trader leaves an office at the Dubai Financial Market in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, March 9, 2020. Saudi Arabia closed off air and sea travel to nine countries affected by the new coronavirus Monday as Mideast stock markets tumbled over fears about the widening outbreak’s effect on the global economy. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
Shares in Asia, the Mideast and Europe, and U.S. futures were down sharply, reports on the health of the economies of Japan and China stirred more unease, and the downturn was being felt by people around the world.
“Our business is one-fifth of what it was before,” said Cheng Sheng, who helps run a food stand in Beijing that sells sausages and noodles. “There’s much less foot traffic. There are no people.”
As the weakening economy was blamed at least in part on the virus that has infected more than 110,000 people, cases were reported in more than half the world’s countries and flash points were erupting around the globe.
In the United States, where more than 500 infections have been reported, eyes were fixed on cruise ships on opposite sides of the country that were kept at bay over fears of virus threats.
Passengers were disembarking the Regal Princess early Monday after it received clearance to dock in Florida. Tests of two crew members eyed as possible carriers of the virus came back negative.
The Grand Princess, meantime, was expected to dock in California with 21 people who tested positive for the coronavirus on board. Passengers were to be placed under quarantines.
Global oil prices suffered their worst losses since the start of the 1991 Gulf War. In Saudi Arabia, shares of state oil giant Saudi Aramco dropped by 10%, forcing a halt to trading of the company on Riyadh’s stock exchange.
Saudi Arabia cut off air and sea travel to and from Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Italy, Kuwait, Lebanon, South Korea, Syria and the United Arab Emirates after earlier closing off its land borders.
All Saudi Arabian schools and universities were closing beginning Monday.
Police officers and soldiers check passengers leaving from Milan main train station, Italy, Monday, March 9, 2020. Italy took a page from China’s playbook Sunday, attempting to lock down 16 million people — more than a quarter of its population — for nearly a month to halt the relentless march of the new coronavirus across Europe. Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte signed a quarantine decree early Sunday for the country’s prosperous north. Areas under lockdown include Milan, Italy’s financial hub and the main city in Lombardy, and Venice, the main city in the neighboring Veneto region. (Claudio Furlan/LaPresse via AP) 
Police officers and soldiers check passengers leaving from Milan main train station, Italy, Monday, March 9, 2020. Italy took a page from China’s playbook Sunday, attempting to lock down 16 million people — more than a quarter of its population — for nearly a month to halt the relentless march of the new coronavirus across Europe. Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte signed a quarantine decree early Sunday for the country’s prosperous north. Areas under lockdown include Milan, Italy’s financial hub and the main city in Lombardy, and Venice, the main city in the neighboring Veneto region. (Claudio Furlan/LaPresse via AP)
In Italy, the government took a page from China’s playbook, issuing a quarantine order attempting to lock down 16 million people across a swath of the country’s north. Italy’s financial hub of Milan and its popular tourist city of Venice were among the places under the order, and across the country, museums and archaeological sites were closed, weddings were canceled, and restaurants were told to keep patrons a meter (3.3 feet) apart. The country has counted 7,375 cases of COVID-19.
Pope Francis celebrated Mass by himself Monday at the Vatican hotel where he lives, but resumed some meetings.
Countries around the world showed a willingness to take tough steps to try to stop the virus’ spread.
The Czech Republic said Monday that visits to hospitals and retirement homes were banned and random checks would begin of vehicles arriving at border crossings, including taking the temperature of occupants.
Qatar cut off travel to 15 countries and announced it would shut down schools and universities beginning Tuesday.
China reported 40 new cases of the virus Monday, its lowest number since Jan. 20. More than three-quarters of the country’s surviving virus patients have been released, according to government figures.
Check-in counters of Japanese airlines are empty at the Gimpo Airport in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, March 9, 2020. South Korea announced on Friday, March 6, it will end visa-free entry for Japanese citizens starting Monday in retaliation for a two-week quarantine imposed by Japan on all visitors from South Korea because of its surging viral outbreak. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) 
An electronic signboard shows that flights from Tokyo’s Haneda airport scheduled were canceled near the self check-in system at Gimpo Airport in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, March 9, 2020. South Korea announced on Friday, March 6, it will end visa-free entry for Japanese citizens starting Monday in retaliation for a two-week quarantine imposed by Japan on all visitors from South Korea because of its surging viral outbreak. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
South Korea reported 165 more cases Monday, bringing its total to 7,478.
Health officials spray disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus in the shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf, Iraq, Sunday, March 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil) 
Iraqi health officials spray disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus in the shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf, Iraq, Sunday, March 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil) 
In this photo taken on Sunday, March 8, 2020, a Russian medic checks the temperature of passengers arriving from Italy on a plane at Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow, Russia. The Russian authorities have ordered mandatory medical checks upon arrival for all those who arrive from countries with high a level of coronavirus cases and ordered them to stay home for two weeks. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) 
In this Monday, March 9, 2020 image taken from video, Pit Heltmann, German Ambassador to North Korea speaks to journalists upon his arrival from Pyongyang, North Korea, at Vladivostok’s international airport, Russia. A special North Korean flight carrying presumably dozens of diplomats and other foreigners arrived in Russia’s Far East on Monday, as the North tightens a lockdown intended to fend off the coronavirus. (AP Photo) 
Peoples walk through a ‘Auto Sanitizing Gate’ in hopes to avoid the spread of the coronavirus outside a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, March 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) 
Empty shelves are seen at a supermarket in Paris, Monday, March 9, 2020. Global share markets have plunged as panicked investors fled to the safety of bonds and the yen to hedge the economic trauma of the coronavirus, while oil plunged more than 30 per cent after Saudi Arabia opened the taps in a price war with Russia.(AP Photo/Michel Euler) 
A worker in protective suit controls a big disinfectant spray as they sanitize a school which has suspended classes as a precautionary measure against a new coronavirus in San Juan city, east of Manila, Philippines on Monday, March 9, 2020. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared a state of public health emergency throughout the country after health officials confirmed over the weekend the first local transmission of the new coronavirus. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) 
A worker in protective suit controls a large disinfectant spray machine as they sanitize a school that has suspended classes as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus in San Juan city in Manila, Philippines on Monday, March 9, 2020. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared a state of public health emergency throughout the country after health officials confirmed over the weekend the first local transmission of the new coronavirus. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) 
A worker in protective suit sprays disinfectants at a school which has suspended classes as a precautionary measure against a new coronavirus in San Juan city, east of Manila, Philippines on Monday, March 9, 2020. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared a state of public health emergency throughout the country after health officials confirmed over the weekend the first local transmission of the new coronavirus. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
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Contributing to this report were Ken Moritsugu in Beijing; Tong-hyung Kim in Seoul, South Korea; Carlo Piovano in London; Nicole Winfield in Rome; and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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