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FOLLOW OUR NEW BLOG FOR LATEST UPDATES ON THE WUHAN CORONAVIRUS: DEATH TOLL SPIKES TO 213 WHILE GLOBAL CASES HITS 9,800

The World Health Organization declared a global health emergency with the viral novel coronavirus, named 2019-nCoV, due to weak health care systems of other countries — not for China’s handling of the outbreak.

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“Let me be clear, this declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China,” Tedros Ghebreyesus, the WHO director, said in Geneva Thursday. “Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems.”

The outbreak is unprecedented, Ghebreyesus added, but it has been met with an unprecedented response. The WHO director praised China for its efforts in containing the outbreak and the country’s transparency the last few weeks.

The WHO stopped short of recommending travel restrictions and trade bans. “(The WHO) could question any country over travel restrictions like visa refusal, border closure, quarantine of travellers in good conditions,” said Didier Houssin, chair of the WHO emergency committee.