Asia markets traded higher on Friday morning as investors await the release of Chinese official manufacturing data for January amid coronavirus fears.

The World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency over the the coronavirus outbreak that has killed at least 200 in China.

Shares in Australia rose in morning trade, with the S&P/ASX 200 up 0.45%. Overall, the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index traded 0.15% higher.

The release of China's official Purchasing Managers' Index for January is set to be around 9:00 a.m. HK/SIN, amid Beijing's efforts to contain an ongoing virus outbreak in the country that has sent jitters across global markets in recent days.

Source : CNBC