Pandemic declared as COVID-19 blazes across globe

Enlarge / Geneva: WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on March 11, 2020 that the new coronavirus outbreak can now be characterized as a pandemic. (credit: Getty | FABRICE COFFRINI)

COVID-19 is a pandemic, the World Health Organization declared in a press briefing Wednesday.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cited not just the leaping numbers of cases, deaths, and countries affected in making the determination but also the slow responses of many countries and governments.

"We are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction," WHO Director-General, who goes by Dr. Tedros, said.

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