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WHO declares global emergency over virus

WHO said the coronavirus outbreak is a global health emergency, after the epidemic first detected in China spread to 7,800 cases and 170 deaths.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaking to a forum at Vienna in September
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaking to a forum at Vienna in September (AN/Dean Calma)

GENEVA (AN) — The World Health Organization declared it considers the coronavirus outbreak to be a global health emergency on Thursday, after the epidemic first detected in China spread to 7,800 confirmed cases and 170 deaths.

Based on a meeting of its emergency committee for such outbreaks, the U.N. health agency classified the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, known as 2019-nCoV, as an “extraordinary event” that represents a risk to nations other than China and requires a coordinated global response.

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