China Puts 13 Cities on Lockdown as Coronavirus Death Toll Climbs

China broadened its lockdown to include at least 13 cities Friday as it strives to contain a deadly virus outbreak the World Health Organization has termed a domestic health emergency. The respiratory virus has claimed 26 lives and infected at least 830 people in China since it was first detected at a seafood market in Wuhan last month, according to figures provided by the National Health Commission Friday morning. While cases of the new coronavirus have been detected around the world, from Thailand and South Korea to the United States, WHO said the situation does not yet constitute a global health emergency. “There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission outside China,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu, WHO’s Director-General, said at a press conference Thursday. After two days of talks, WHO declared the outbreak an emergency in China but refrained from declaring it of international concern for now. Such declarations can bolster resources to fight a pandemic, but they can also trigger trade and travel restrictions. “For the moment, WHO does not recommend any broader restrictions on travel or trade,” Tedros said. The decision about whether or not to declare a public health emergency of international concern on new #coronavirus is one I take extremely seriously, and one I am only prepared to make with appropriate consideration of all the evidence. — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) January 22, 2020 China has attempted to stymie ...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized China Disease onetime overnight Source Type: news