COVID-19 'can be characterised as a pandemic': WHO chief

The new coronavirus outbreak can now be characterized as a pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was alarmed by the spread and severity of the outbreak, along with a lack of action taken to combat it.

"COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic," he told reporters in Geneva. He said he expected the number of cases and deaths would grow in the coming days and weeks.

"We have never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus," he said. He also said hard-hit Iran was trying its best to control the outbreak but needed more supplies.