The World Health Organization (WHO) raised the global risk level from COVID-19 from ‘high’ to ‘very high’ – the highest risk rating – on Friday as the virus continued to spread rapidly outside China, with 67 deaths in 49 countries.
This coincided with a South African health ministry statement that two South African citizens working on a Japanese cruise ship have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, known as the coronavirus. The two are among 12 South African crew members who were working on board the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship when it was affected by COVID-19.
The ministry statement said the two were being treated in Japan and that ‘the latest reports indicate that they are currently asymptomatic’.
It said it was ‘most appropriate’ that the two crew members ‘be treated in Japan until they are fully recovered from the virus and are no longer contagious before they travel further’.
WHO urged people not to travel at all if they have a fever or cough, and said the ‘window of opportunity’ to contain the coronavirus was ‘slowly closing’.
Said WHO’s Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: ‘Our epidemiologists have been monitoring these developments continuously, and we have now increased our assessment of the risk of spread and the risk of [the] impact of #COVID19 to “very high” at a global level.’
Euronews reported that the raising of the risk assessment ‘came as markets plummeted again on fears the disease could harm the global economy’.
In other developments:
- Health officials in Nigeria reported their first case of the disease on Friday, the first in sub-Sarahan Africa;
- The number of cases in France grew from 18 to 38 on Thursday, and leapt to 57 on Friday;
- Japan has ordered all schools to be closed from tomorrow; and
- Saudi Arabia has banned travel to Mecca and Medina, just months before the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The Middle East reportedly has more than 220 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection.