Asian stock markets plunged on Friday following tightening restrictions by some countries in Europe amid a new pandemic outbreak and the announcement that a new coronavirus mutation had been identified in South Africa.
The Japanese Nikkei 225 index plunged 2.5% to 28,751.62 points.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index fell 2.4% to 24,155.89 points, while in mainland China the Shanghai Composite lost 0.6% to 3,564.09 points.
In South Korea the Kospi fell 1.47%, while in Australia the S & P-ASX 200 lost 1.7%.
The heavy losses follow the decisions of many European governments to impose severe restrictions or even universal lockdowns to bring the last wave of the pandemic under control. Austria imposed a universal lockdown 10 days after the deaths of Covid-19 tripled, while Italy imposed new restrictions on unvaccinated citizens. Germany, meanwhile, became the fifth European country to exceed 100,000 deaths from Covid-19.
The news that scientists from South Africa have identified a new mutation in the virus has also caused great concern. The World Health Organization will hold an emergency meeting today to assess the risks of the new mutation and its impact on existing vaccines and treatments.
These worries also shake the futures of the American market, with the futures of the Dow Jones losing about 700 points. The US market remained closed yesterday due to the Thanksgiving holiday, while today it will be open for less hours than normal due to Black Friday.
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