Coronavirus Is Officially A Global Emergency, World Health Organization Declares

The coronavirus epidemic has the world shook right now. Although people have claimed that it’s being overblown by the media, it’s now a problem globally, BBC reports. The World Health Organization has declared the disease a global emergency. While a large portion of the diseases and deaths related to coronavirus has been in China, predominantly Hubei, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the announcement isn’t just on what’s happening in China but the possibilities of it spreading across the world.

“The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries,” Ghebreyesus said. His concern is that as more documented cases of coronavirus spreading to other countries, they don’t want it to spread to countries with weaker health care systems. So far, there are 98 cases in eighteen countries, although all of the deaths that occurred have happened in China. “Let me be clear, this declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China,” Tedros said.

Tedros praised the Chinese government for the preventative measures they’re taking while also denying that there’s any reason to stop trade transactions or travel to China.

Major companies like Google and Tesla have shut down shops in China in wake of the disease. Wilbur Ross, The US Commerce Secretary, is looking at the bright side of this bleak outbreak, saying, it could “accelerate the return of jobs to North America.”