The President of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has declared the spread of coronavirus infection (COVID-19) a pandemic.

The spread of the new coronavirus in the world has become a pandemic, said he at a Geneva briefing.

“We’re deeply concerned, both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction. We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic”, says the WHO statement.

As of today, the total number of coronavirus cases is 126,380 with a death toll of 4,635. China, where the coronavirus originated, had highest number of cases – 80,796 with 3,169 deaths. However, the authorities confirmed that the coronavirus outbreak is under control.

The crisis in Italy is getting more serious. The country has 12,462 cases confirmed cases with 2,313 new cases only today (Mar 11, 2020). The death toll in the country reached 827 with 196 registered today (Mar 11, 2020).

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has banned citizens of many European nations from entering the US for 30 days, as he unveiled an unprecedented travel ban aimed at reducing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in America. Among other measures taken by the US authorities are closing of schools and suspending of the NBA season.

The NBA will suspend its season after a Utah Jazz player was found to have tested positive for the coronavirus, the league announced on Wednesday. The league said the suspension would take effect after the completion of Wednesday’s schedule.