WHO Panel to Reconvene Thursday to Decide If Coronavirus a Global Emergency

China surpassed the official number of SARS infections in the country during that epidemic. Governments tightened international travel and border crossings with China as they ramped up efforts to stop the spread of the disease. Airlines across the world suspended more flights to the country, as the U.S., the U.K., Japan and other countries moved to evacuate citizens from the outbreak’s epicenter, Wuhan. The World Health Organization’s Emergency Committee will meet Thursday to consider declaring the coronavirus a global crisis. “The whole world needs to be on alert now,” Michael Ryan, executive director of the UN agency’s Health Emergencies Program, said at a press conference in Geneva. “‘The whole world needs to take action and be ready for any cases that come” in China or beyond. The WHO last week stopped short of calling the outbreak a global health emergency, saying it remained a local crisis for the time being. Declaring a global emergency would allow the WHO to coordinate government responses to the crisis. Since last week, China has taken unprecedented measures to try to slow the spread of the virus. British Airways said it will halt flights to Beijing and Shanghai, joining other carriers in announcing the cutting or suspension of flights to China following the coronavirus outbreak. The moves come as the U.S. and U.K. said residents should avoid all non-essential travel to China. United Airlines Holdings Inc., the biggest U.S. carrier to the Asian nation, said it would cut flight service after a drop in demand. The U.S. government is considering several options to combat the emergence of the coronavirus, including a ban on flights to and from China, though no decision has been made, a person familiar with the deliberations said on Tuesday night. Toyota Motor Corp. is halting operations in China until Feb. 9, joining a growing list of global companies that have cut back on business activities in China. “Given the various factors including the guidelines by the local and region governments and parts supply situation, as of Jan. 29, we have decided to halt operations in our plants in China until Feb. 9,” said Maki Niimi, a spokesman for the Japanese automaker. “We will monitor the situation and make further decisions on operations from Feb. 10.” The United Arab Emirates reported the first cases of the novel coronavirus in the Middle East. The disease was diagnosed among members of a family that arrived from the Chinese city of Wuhan, state-run WAM news agency reported, citing the Ministry of Health and Prevention. The patients are in stable condition and are under medical observation, it said. The ministry didn’t specify the number of diagnosed cases. Visitor arrivals to Macau from mainland China have plunged 79% during the Lunar New Year holiday, as the impact from the virus outbreak deals a major blow to casino operators. The number of Chinese visitors from Jan. 24-28 slumped to 127,149, according to data from Macau Government Tourist Office. While casinos in the world’s largest gambling hub remain open for now, the region has been effectively shut down. Nearby Hong Kong has restricted transportation from the mainland, while Beijing has stopped issuing visas for individual travel to both Hong Kong and Macau. A Bloomberg Intelligence index of Macau casino operators dropped as much as 5.1% on Wednesday, the most intraday in almost six months. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm QUICKTAKE ON SOCIAL: Follow QuickTake on Twitter: twitter.com/quicktake Like QuickTake on Facebook: facebook.com/quicktake Follow QuickTake on Instagram: instagram.com/quicktake Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/2FJ0oQZ Email us at [email protected] QuickTake by Bloomberg is a global news network delivering up-to-the-minute analysis on the biggest news, trends and ideas for a new generation of leaders.