"I am on my way to Beijing, China to meet with the Government & health experts supporting the #coronavirus response. My @WHO colleagues & I would like to understand the latest developments & strengthen our partnership with China in providing further protection against the outbreak", the director-general said in a Tweet.
Ghebreyesus added that WHO is working around the clock to support the Chinese government and inform the international community of new developments in efforts to contain the outbreak, which began in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late December and has already claimed at least 56 lives.
Building on experience and systems already in place for related pathogens, @WHO has activated global networks of experts, quickly developed advice for countries everywhere, and is working with them to activate their response systems. #coronavirus
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) January 26, 2020
Earlier in the day, China's National Health Commission director Ma Xiaowei told reporters that the spread of the virus appears to be accelerating despite mitigation efforts, with the latest estimates placing the number of dead at 56 with nearly 2,000 infected.
On 23 January, WHO said in a Tweet that it was too early to declare a public health emergency regarding the coronavirus outbreak.
