World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned Monday in a Geneva news briefing that the world is facing a “potential pandemic” with the uptick of confirmed COVID-19 coronavirus cases in Iran, South Korea and Italy.
So far, the outbreak has yet to reach the threshold of a pandemic, Ghebreyesus said, but he warned the prospect is on the table.
Earlier in the day, a senior WHO official said the novel coronavirus could stick around for months.
In Israel, a second passenger from among the 11 Israelis who returned last week from Japan was diagnosed Sunday with the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Four Israelis who became ill while they were aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in the port of Yokohama are being treated in Japan under the close supervision of an Israeli infectious diseases expert.
