Coronavirus: European market index sees worst day in history

The European stocks index has ended the day with its biggest loss on record.

The Stoxx Europe 600 index, which measures major stocks across the region, fell 11.5% on Thursday, its worst day on record.

It eclipsed the 8.5% drop during the 1987 stock market crash.

Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 10.9%, its worst loss since 1987.

Germany’s DAX plunged 12.2%, which is more than it lost after the attacks of September 11 2001, France’s CAC 40 12.3% and Italy’s FTSE MIB a massive 16.9%.

Investors worried about a US travel ban that covers much of Europe and could presage tougher government limits on business activity in order to clamp down on the virus outbreak.

Some analysts also noted how European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde underscored how it was mainly up to governments, not central banks, to help the economy through the disruption of the outbreak.