“Make no mistake. This is an emergency in China, but it has not yet become a global health emergency,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of WHO, in a press conference Thursday. “I am not declaring a public health emergency of international concern today,” he added.
The international agency has received reports of cases in China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United States, he said.
Other alleged cases of coronavirus—such as the ones reported in the United Kingdom, Brazil, or Mexico—are still being investigated, Ghebreyesus remarked.
Those who have died from the virus, meanwhile, have had underlying health issues, he said, such as “hypertension, diabetes or cardiovascular disease that weakened their immune systems.”
Ghebreyesus issued a word of caution: “There is still a lot we don’t know. We don’t know the source of this virus, we don’t understand how easily it spreads & we don’t fully understand its clinical features or severity.” What’s more, “It is likely that we will see more cases in other parts of China and other countries,” he told reporters.
“We are completely committed to ending this outbreak as soon as possible,” he said.
The cities of Wuhan, nearby Huanggang, and Ezhou are under quarantine. All forms public transportation are closed and airports are shut down.
“Airports and train stations that can be used to leave the city will be temporarily closed. The closures will continue until further announcement,” the government stated.
At the same time, the U.S. State Department advised would-be Wuhan travelers to exercise caution. Along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agency called on Americans to avoid nonessential travel to Wuhan after Chinese officials closed down transportation in and out of the city.
The same alert also warned travelers that the Chinese Communist Party could use the virus outbreak as a reason to crack down on dissent and detain people indefinitely.
