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World Health Organization declares coronavirus an “international health emergency”

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially classified the coronavirus (2019-nCoV) an international health emergency today.

In their statement on the virus, WHO reminded countries that they are “legally required” to report any cases to them directly.

“It is expected that further international exportation of cases may appear in any country,” WHO’s statement reads. “Thus, all countries should be prepared for containment, including active surveillance, early detection, isolation and case management, contact tracing and prevention of onward spread of 2019-nCoV infection, and to share full data with WHO.

Technical advice is available on the WHO website.

Photos courtesy Getty Images

Yesterday, on Jan. 29 officials reported that the death toll from the coronavirus, which broke out in China earlier this month, has killed 170 people.

Chinese authorities also reported over 7,700 confirmed cases of the virus, which has now spread to every region of mainland China.

At least 19 other countries and territories outside of China have reported confirmed cases of the coronavirus as well. 

Strict biosecurity measures are being taken in certain parts of the world and the World Health Organization (WHO) is set to debate on whether the virus is an international public health emergency.

The United States, Australia, Japan, and India have all evacuated their citizens from Wuhan, Hubei Provence, China where the novel coronavirus was first identified.

Locations with confirmed cases

  1. China
  2. Hong Kong
  3. Macau
  4. Taiwan
  5. Australia
  6. Cambodia
  7. Canada
  8. France
  9. Germany
  10. Japan
  11. Malaysia
  12. Nepal
  13. Sri Lanka
  14. Singapore
  15. Thailand
  16. The Republic of Korea
  17. United Arab Emirates
  18. United States
  19. Vietnam

Check out the Center for Disease Control’s situation summary here.

For a map that tracks the coronavirus in real time, click here.

Zack Benz

Zack Benz has been a fan of the Daily Planet since he was eight years old. The Daily Planet has always been a beacon of hope for him and it’s his life’s mission to make it shine in a similar light to so many around the world. Zack graduated with a degree in journalism and art from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2019.

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