"We call on all countries to make decisions based on evidence and consistency," Mr. Tedros once again reiterated the message from the Emergency Committee meeting in Geneva. Mr. Tedros also emphasized that the international isolation of China since the outbreak such as suspending flights, banning tourists... could even cause the number of cases outside China to increase higher. Referring to the speed of the spread of the coronavirus in countries, he said the situation is at a "minimal and slow" level.
Previously, WHO called the nCoV pneumonia epidemic "an emergency in China" and has not declared it a global epidemic.
WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a meeting in Geneva
China also condemned the "strong measures" taken by some countries to limit the spread of the nCoV pneumonia epidemic, such as closing borders or temporarily banning tourists from China. Countries that have issued entry and visa refusal orders to Chinese visitors include North Korea, Mongolia, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Russia, the US, Japan, Vietnam, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, the Philippines...
China also condemned "forceful measures" taken by some countries to limit the spread of the nCoV pneumonia epidemic, such as closing borders or temporarily banning tourists.
The nCoV pneumonia outbreak started in Wuhan City in December 2019 and has spread to all 31 provinces and cities in China, 24 other countries and territories, including Vietnam. Since January 26, China has locked down more than 10 cities in Hubei Province, home to 56 million people, to limit the spread of the disease. The Wuhan City government has also faced criticism for concealing information related to the disease for many weeks. As of February 4, there were 426 deaths from nCoV pneumonia, mostly in China, with 20,622 infected people. The Hubei Provincial Health Commission confirmed 64 new positive cases in just 24 hours.
