China reports new cases, deaths as virus declared emergency

The death toll from the coronavirus has increased to 213, with the number of cases rising to 9,692, Chinese health officials say.

The figures show an increase of 1,981 cases and 81 deaths since Wednesday.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the outbreak, which has spread to more than a dozen countries, a global public health emergency.

The vast majority of the cases have been in Hubei province and its provincial capital, Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak.

No deaths have been reported outside China.

213 Death toll of the coronavirus as of Friday, January 31

The UN health agency defines an international emergency as an “extraordinary event” that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response.

China first informed WHO about cases of the new virus in late December.

Eighteen other countries have since reported cases, as scientists race to understand how exactly the virus is spreading and how severe it is.

Experts say there is significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China and have noted with concern instances in other countries — including the United States, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea and Vietnam — where there have also been isolated cases of human-to-human transmission.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva on Thursday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted the worrisome spread of the virus between people outside China.

“The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries,” he said.

“Our greatest concern is the potential for this virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems which are ill-prepared to deal with it.”

“This declaration is not a vote of non-confidence in China. On the contrary, WHO continues to have the confidence in China’s capacity to control the outbreak.”

A declaration of a global emergency typically brings greater money and resources, but may also prompt nervous governments to restrict travel and trade to affected countries.

The announcement also imposes more disease reporting requirements on countries.

In the wake of numerous airlines cancelling flights to China and businesses including Starbucks and McDonald’s temporarily closing hundreds of shops, Dr Tedros said WHO was not recommending limiting travel or trade to China.

“There is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade,” he said.

Despite this, the United States state department has advised against all travel to China due to the coronavirus outbreak while Russia said it was closing its 4,185-kilometre (2,600-mile) border with China.

The new virus has now infected more people in China than were sickened there during the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, a cousin of the new virus.