For the first time since the global coronavirus outbreak began, China has reported no new domestic cases of the illness.
Only eight deaths were reported for Wednesday, all of which occurred in Hubei province, which includes the city of Wuhan where the pandemic started. Globally, the number of coronavirus cases has topped 200,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Italy has surpassed China in total deaths connected to the coronavirus, with the country reporting 3,405 fatalities as of Thursday afternoon Eastern Time.
Efforts to contain the spread of the virus in the U.S. and Europe have brought life in many major cities to a standstill, and governments are launching a variety of aid packages meant to alleviate the worst of the economic impact.
Markets were calmer on Thursday with the Dow Jones Industrial Average opening lower by around 200 points and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq down by just under 1 percent each.