Thread by @kakape

Press conference on #COVID19 at @WHO now.
Number of cases in China continues to decline, says @DrTedros. Yesterday only 206 cases reported from China, lowest number since 22.1. Only 8 cases outside Hubei province.
Phew!

@WHO @DrTedros Outside China:
8739 cases
in 61 countries
127 deaths

@drtedros highlights that there were 9 times more #covid19 cases reported outside China than inside in last 24 hours.
"The epidemics in the Republic of Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan are our greatest concern"

@WHO @DrTedros A @WHO team has arrived in Iran to support #covid19 response in the country. A WHO staff member in Iran has tested positive for the virus, @DrTedros says. “He has mild disease.”

@WHO @DrTedros S Korea has reported >4200 #Covid19 cases now, more than half of all cases outside China. But cases mostly coming from 5 known clusters not community. "That’s important because it indicates that surveillance measures are working and S Korea's epidemic can still be contained."

@WHO @DrTedros World in “unchartered territory”, says @DrTedros. "We have never before seen a respiratory pathogen that is capable of community transmission, but which can also be contained with the right measures”. @DrTedros hammering the same message: This virus is not flu, it can be beaten.

@WHO @DrTedros "We appreciate that people are debating whether this is a pandemic or not”, says @DrTedros. "WHO will not hesitate to describe this as a pandemic if that’s what the evidence suggests”. But not there yet, containment still possible, he says.

@WHO @DrTedros "Our message to all countries is: this is not one-way street. We can push this coronavirus back”, says @DrTedros. "Your actions now will determine the course of the #Covid19 outbreak in your country.”

@WHO @DrTedros Q: Can we still contain the virus? @DrMikeRyan: "The fact remains that for the vast majority countries we don’t have demonstrated community transmission.” At the very least trying to contain virus will slow it down, giving crucial time to prepare.

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan .@DrTedros adds to that: Of countries with #covid19 cases, 38 have reported ten cases or less. "
These countries should really invest in containment."

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan "The world needs to learn from them”, says @mvankerkhove about role of China in fighting #covid19. “All the evidence that its being gathered as part of this response is being fed back into this response."

@WHO @DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @mvankerkhove History can judge whether calling it a pandemic or not etc. is right or wrong, says fiery @DrMikeRyan. "We cannot miss this opportunity to save lives", he says. “Let's just get on with it.”