The World Health Organization, which initially downplayed the severity of a disease that has now killed 170 nationwide, warned all governments to be “on alert” as it weighed whether to declare a global health emergency. The WHO has come under fire after it last week declined to declare a global health emergency. The global health body’s chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed regret for what he called a “human error” in the WHO’s assessment. A growing number of governments — including the United States, Britain and Germany — have advised their citizens to avoid non-essential travel to China. The contagion has spread to nearly every corner of China, with remote Tibet reporting its first case on Thursday.

Source: Pakistan Today January 30, 2020 03:56 UTC