Global stock markets and international oil prices plummeted due to concerns about the new mutation of Corona 19 ‘Omicron’.
The United States has imposed travel restrictions on countries in southern Africa related to Omicron, and the European Union has decided to suspend passenger flights.
We will contact the International Department for more information. Reporter Won-bae Kim!
Global stock markets plunged on fears of a new mutation in COVID-19?
[기자]
Yes, it is.
On the 26th local time, the three major indices of the New York Stock Exchange all closed with a plunge of 2%.
The Dow closed 905.04 points, or 2.53%, at 34,899.34.
This is the biggest decline since October 28 last year.
The Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 index fell 106.84 points, or 2.27%, to 4,594.62.
This is the biggest decline since February 25.
The tech-focused Nasdaq index closed at 15,491.66, down 353.57 points, or 2.23%.
Stocks in major European countries were lower than those in New York.
The London Stock Exchange’s FTSE 100 index fell 3.64% and the Paris Paris stock market’s CAC 40 index fell 4.75%.
Germany’s Frankfurt Stock Exchange’s DAX 30 index fell 4.15%.
[앵커]
The international oil price plummeted 13%, breaking the level of $70 per barrel, right?
[기자]
Yes, it is.
International oil prices plummeted on concerns that a new mutation in COVID-19 would reduce demand for crude oil, causing the price of crude oil to fall below $70 per barrel.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, West Texas Intermediate crude for delivery in January next year closed at $10.24 a barrel, down 13.06% at $68.15 a barrel.
This is the biggest drop since April last year.
[앵커]
The World Health Organization has designated a new mutation in COVID-19 as a mutation of concern.
[기자]
Yes, it is.
The World Health Organization (WHO) classified the new Corona 19 mutant virus as a ‘variant of concern’ on the 26th local time.
The WHO also named the virus ‘Omicron’.
The WHO said that Omicron carries a large number of mutations, and preliminary evidence suggests that this mutation appears to increase the risk of reinfection compared to other variants of concern.
At the same time, the WHO emphasized wearing a mask, washing hands, social distancing, ventilation and vaccination.
The WHO said that Omicron was first identified in specimens collected on the 9th, and that South Africa reported it to the organization on the 24th.
[앵커]
The US has imposed travel restrictions on eight countries in southern Africa where Omicron has occurred, right?
[기자]
U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement on the 26th local time that he had been informed of omicron mutations from his advisor, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
“Until we have further information, we are ordering additional air travel restrictions to eight countries, including South Africa, as a precautionary measure.”
These countries include South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Malawi.
President Biden added that “these measures will come into effect on the 29th and we will receive further recommendations from our science and medical teams as the situation develops.”
[앵커]
EU member states have decided to suspend passenger flights to seven southern African countries, right?
[기자]
Yes, it is.
EU member states have agreed to restrict entry from southern Africa after the first confirmed case of Omicron in Belgium.
In the second half of this year, the European Union, Slovenia, the chair of the EU tour, announced this on Twitter.
A committee of health experts from 27 EU member states agreed that it was necessary to trigger an emergency brake and temporarily restrict all entrants to the EU from southern Africa.
dpa news agency, citing multiple diplomatic sources, said EU member states had reached an agreement to suspend passenger flights from seven African countries.
The target countries are South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Passengers arriving from these countries are subject to strict quarantine and diagnostic tests, the source said.
YTN Wonbae Kim (wbkim@ytn.co.kr)
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