Wuhan Coronavirus LIVE UPDATES
Jan. 23, 2020, 4:08 p.m. ET19 minutes ago
19 minutes ago
Coronavirus Live Updates: 1st Death Outside Epicenter Is Reported, but W.H.O. Doesn’t Declare Emergency Yet
The travel restrictions imposed on Wuhan were extended to at least four more cities. At least 18 people have died and more than 600 have been sickened by a mysterious illness.
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The authorities confirmed the first death outside of the virus’s epicenter, in a province more than 600 miles to the north. But the World Health Organization held off on declaring a global health emergency.
World Health Organization decides not to declare a global health emergency — yet
After two days of deliberations, an emergency committee convened by the World Health Organization decided not to declare a global health emergency — but planned to meet again within 10 days, acknowledging the “urgency” of the situation.
The committee had first planned to issue a recommendation on Wednesday about whether to declare an emergency (the decision ultimately falls to the W.H.O.’s director general). Such a declaration would give the W.H.O. broader authority to shape different countries’ responses. But committee members were split.
On Thursday, after news of Wuhan’s travel restrictions and the increased death count emerged, the committee met again, and decided not to recommend the declaration. Several members thought it was “still too early,” the W.H.O. said in a news release.
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