The announcement by the Word Health Organisation of the heightened alert has set off a chain of events in South Africa, centered around the emergency Operations Centre.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday announced that the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, designated 2019-nCoV, has become a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), in other words, a global health emergency.
The WHO chief however expressed his organization’s confidence in China’s efforts to stop further spread and new infections.
In South Africa, health authorities are also stepping up efforts to tackle the virus.
While there have been no confirmed cases, the authorities are keen to ensure the country is not compromised as global efforts to tackle the virus continue.
The South African authorities are also impressed by the manner in which the Chinese health authorities have managed the virus is appropriate.
Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhizesa urged other countries to borrow a leaf from China.
“We are happy that China is managing the way they are doing it in terms of making sure that people can be observed for a particular period, before they actually gets out of that area. Every country has got to have that kind of responsibility if you have to deal with this kind of cases,” he said.
