The World Health Organization has declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom made the announcement on Wednesday. The move comes as the virus has caused outbreaks in many of the world’s countries, killing more than 4,300 and infecting at least 121,000 people across the globe.
“This is the first pandemic caused by a coronavirus,” Tedros said. “We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear.”
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A pandemic is declared when an infectious disease affects many countries at once. The number of cases outside of China, where the flu-like illness originated, has increased thirteenfold over the past two weeks.
“This is not just a public health crisis. It’s a crisis that will touch every sector, so every sector and every individual must be involved in the fight,” Tedros added. He said that countries needed to “strike a fine balance between protecting health, minimizing economic and social disruption, and respecting human rights.”
Italy locked down its entire country of about 60 million people. Universities across the United States have implemented social distancing policies, including canceling classes and directing professors to teach students remotely. Events around America have been canceled or postponed, including the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in Boston, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California, and South by Southwest in Texas.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
