The jury is still out on the impact the coronavirus will have on the mining and minerals sector.John Reade, chief market strategist at the World Gold Council, said the outlook for gold for 2020 had largely been undertaken prior to the outbreak of the disease in China and it was certainly being monitored carefully.He said the outbreak was evolving, but how it would play out was yet to be determined.“Whether demand rebounds or continues to soften will depend on the duration of the epidemic and its impact on economic g row th.”This is the sentiment not only in the gold sector, but across other commodities as the virus has introduced increased volatility in markets across the globe. It is commonly accepted that demand in China – especially during the first quarter of the year – will have slowed significantly.China’s National Offshore Oil Corporation, or CNOOC Group, has declared force majeure on LNG contracts. Throughout February commodity prices continued to plunge because of decreasing demand from China where many companies suspended or curtailed business activities amid lockdowns in several cities.Sectors hit hard so far include oil which dropped by at least 10% in price, considering that China is the second-largest oil refiner in the world. Palm oil prices also slumped by as much as 10%, along with several base metals. Copper prices have dropped and iron ore is expected to be hit hard