WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the mission briefing on COVID-19 – 26 February 2020

Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,

First of all, good morning and welcome to our weekly mission briefing on COVID-19. I’m glad that we’re maintaining these regular briefings.

A lot has changed since we briefed you last Wednesday, which illustrates the rapidly evolving nature of this epidemic.

As of 6am Geneva time this morning, China has reported 78,190 cases to WHO, including 2718 deaths.

Yesterday, only 10 new cases were reported in China outside of Hubei province.

But this is no time for complacency. This is a time for continued vigilance.

On Monday, the WHO-China joint mission concluded its visit and delivered its report.

As you also know, the team has traveled to several different provinces, including Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.

The team has made a range of findings about the transmissibility of the virus, the severity of disease and the impact of the measures taken.

CONTINUA