WHO Declares New COVID Outbreak in China a Global Health Emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a new coronavirus outbreak in China a global health emergency. The announcement was made by WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus during a press conference in Geneva, following the recommendation of the organization’s emergency committee.

The committee convened on Thursday to assess the situation and reached an “almost unanimous” decision to designate the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), according to Didier Houssin, chair of the emergency committee.

Tedros emphasized that the decision was driven by concerns about the virus’s potential impact on countries with weaker health systems. “The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries,” he stated.

He added, “Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems and which are ill-prepared to deal with it. Let me be clear, this declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China. On the contrary, WHO continues to have confidence in China’s capacity to control the outbreak.”

The WHO also outlined key recommendations to address the outbreak, including accelerating the development of vaccines and treatments and combating misinformation surrounding the virus.

This marks the sixth time WHO has declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern since the designation was introduced 15 years ago.