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Nov 19 (Reuters) - European stocks opened lower on Thursday
following sharp losses on Wall Street as investors feared
another round of shutdowns due to soaring coronavirus cases in
the United States and Europe.
The pan-European STOXX 600 .STOXX fell 0.7% by 0810 GMT,
with growth-sensitive oil and gas .SXEP , banking .SX7P and
mining .SXPP sectors leading early losses.
Encouraging news on COVID-19 vaccine had pushed the STOXX
600 to levels hit in February earlier this week and U.S. markets
to record levels.
The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 approached 250,000 on
Wednesday as New York City's public schools called a halt to
in-classroom instruction in the latest major restriction to curb
the spread of the virus. Ailing conglomerate Thyssenkrupp TKAG.DE fell 3.8% after
it said it would need to cut a further 5,000 jobs to ease the
impact of the coronavirus crisis on its businesses. Norwegian Air NORR.OL slumped 15.7% after it asked an
Irish court to oversee a restructuring of its massive debt as it
seeks to stave off collapse.