World Health Organization says coronavirus outbreak is a pandemic

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization

The World Health Organization says the coronavirus outbreak has reached the stage where it can be described as a pandemic.

At their daily briefing today (Wednesday), director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there were now more than 118,000 cases across 114 countries and that 4,291 people have lost their lives.

🚨 BREAKING 🚨

"We have therefore made the assessment that #COVID19 can be characterized as a pandemic"-@DrTedros #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/JqdsM2051A

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 11, 2020

He said: “Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death.

“Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO’s assessment of the threat posed by this coronavirus. It doesn’t change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do.”

He added: “We have never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus. And we have never before seen a pandemic that can be controlled at the same time. WHO has been in full response mode since we were notified of the first cases.

“We have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action. We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear.”

The announcement comes as one of the nine new coronavirus cases confirmed in Scotland is the first to have been transmitted in the community.

The number of people who have now tested positive for Covid-19 in the country has increased by a third to 36 people, up from 27 on Tuesday.

After an update at 2pm on Wednesday, chief medical officer Dr Catherine Calderwood issued a statement confirming the case was unrelated to contact or travel.

She said: “We have identified the first case of community transmission in Scotland, which is unrelated to contact or travel.

“This was identified through our enhanced surveillance scheme.

“It is important to emphasise that we are still in the containment phase.

“This case was to be expected and highlights the importance of the additional measures we have put in place to identify positive cases beyond self-identification.”