China coronavirus: World Health Organisation not declaring virus’ spread a global emergency
- The UN agency’s ruling came as Beijing placed eight cities in central China’s Hubei province, including capital Wuhan, under lockdown to stop the virus’ spread
- Authorities also reported the first fatality outside Hubei, after an 80-year-old in Hebei province who died on Wednesday was confirmed to have had the illness
The World Health Organisation said on Thursday that the spread of the deadly coronavirus that originated in China does not constitute an international public health emergency, despite the climbing death toll, which now stands at 26.
The outbreak is “an emergency in China”, WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference in Geneva. “But it has not yet become a global health emergency. It may yet become one.”
Tedros said there was “no evidence” of human-to-human transmission outside China, “but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen”.
The United Nations health agency’s ruling came on the same day that the Chinese government placed eight cities in central China’s Hubei province, including its capital Wuhan, under near-lockdown to stop the virus from spreading, blocking off all outward public transport. More than 800 cases worldwide have been reported so far.
