WHO will send international experts to visit China as soon as possible to work with their Chinese counterparts on increasing understanding of the outbreak to guide global response efforts, he said.
WHO Director General Dr Tedros is in Beijing and he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, said the Spokesperson in a regular briefing at the UN headquarters in New York.
Dr Tedros noted that the World Health Organization is working closely with the Chinese government on the measures to understand the virus and to limit transmission.
They shared the latest information on the coronavirus and reiterated their commitment to bring it under control.
Dr Tedros also met the Chinese Foreign Minister and the Ministry of Health.
Talks with China’s National Health Commission focused on continued collaboration on containment measures in Wuhan, public health measures in other cities and provinces, conducting further studies on the severity and transmissibility of the virus, continuing to share data, and for China to share biological material with the WHO, he said.
Dr Tedros stressed that WHO’s highest priority is stopping the spread of this virus both in China and globally.
He expressed his appreciation for how China is taking this outbreak, especially the commitment from top leadership, and the transparency they have demonstrated, including sharing data and genetic sequence of the virus.