Stocks plummet as coronavirus cases top 200,000

The stock market plummeted Wednesday as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States topped 200,000.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 973.7 points, or 4.4 percent, and the S&P 500 was down 114.1 points, also 4.4 percent.

According to Johns Hopkins University, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has doubled since Thursday, as the disease spreads and more testing has become available.

One analysis found that COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, had risen to the third leading cause of death, behind cancer and heart disease.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced a 30-day stay-at-home order after mounting pressure for what critics called a foot-dragging response to the virus.

In the meantime, Democrats pushed a plan to include a significant infrastructure and jobs push into a potential phase 4 coronavirus bill.

The drop in markets Wednesday, the second day of the second quarter, follows the worst first quarter performance for markets on record.