RYARDH, March 1 (Bloomberg) - The chief of the World Health Organization said the window is narrowing to contain the new coronavirus after the U.S., Australia and Thailand reported their first fatalities.

There’s no need for fear and panic in the markets, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the world body, said in Riyadh Sunday. While countries need to prepare for a pandemic, facts show there’s no such threat yet, he said. “We shouldn’t abandon the containment strategy because we see it’s working in some countries.”

Health officials in the U.S. state of Washington said a man in his 50s died and in Australia, a 78-year-old man succumbed to the infection in a Perth hospital after being quarantined aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Thailand reported the death of a 35-year-old retail worker in a Bangkok suburb.