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| Coronavirus declared global health emergency by WHO | Coronavirus declared global health emergency by WHO |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The new coronavirus has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization, as the outbreak continues to spread outside China. | |
| "The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. | |
| The concern is that it could spread to countries with weaker health systems. | The concern is that it could spread to countries with weaker health systems. |
| The death toll now stands at 170 people in China. | |
| The WHO said there had been 98 cases in 18 counties outside of China, but no deaths. | |
| Most cases have emerged in people who have travelled from the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the outbreak began. | |
| However, there have been eight cases of human-to-human infection - in Germany, Japan, Vietnam and the United States. | |
| Dr Tedros, speaking at the press conference in Geneva, described the virus as an "unprecedented outbreak" that has been met with an "unprecedented response". | |
| He praised China's "extraordinary measures", taken to prevent it from spreading. | |
| When has this happened in the past? | |
| The WHO declares a Public Health Emergency of International Concern when there is "an extraordinary event which is determined … to constitute a public health risk to other states through the international spread of disease". | |
| It has previously declared five global public health emergencies: |