Global firms halt China travel as coronavirus spooks markets

Fears grow over global economic fallout with airline shares hit and commodity prices tumbling

• Coronavirus outbreak: live updates

Businesses are stopping staff travel to China and urging workers inside the country to stay out of the office as concerns grow about the continued spread of the coronavirus from the central city of Wuhan to the rest of China and beyond.

HSBC, which has the biggest presence of foreign banks in China, has banned all staff travel to Hong Kong for two weeks and to mainland China until further notice. Asia-focused lender Standard Chartered is also restricting travel to China and Hong Kong and has asked staff either returning from China or who have family members who have visited the country to work from home for 14 days after their return.