WHO Urges the World Not to Miss the "Window of Opportunity" to Contain the Outbreak

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on 21 February that the window of opportunity to contain the outbreak is still there but it is narrowing, and called on the international community to act quickly.

At a press conference on Friday, the Director-General said that although the total number of cases outside China remains relatively small, WHO is concerned about the number of cases with no clear epidemiological link such as travel history to China or contact with a confirmed case.

He said that apart from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, the Republic of Korea now has the most cases outside China and WHO is working closely with the ROK Government to fully understand the transmission dynamics that led to this increase. In addition, there are now 18 cases and four deaths in the Islamic Republic of Iran in just the past two days. "Our concern continues to be the potential for COVID-19 to spread in countries with weaker health systems."

He said that the measures China and other countries have taken have provided a fighting chance of containing the spread of the virus and called on all countries to continue their commitment for containment measures while preparing for community transmission if it occurs. "We must not look back and regret that we failed to take advantage of the window of opportunity that we have now."