WHO chief and Xi discussed protection of Chinese, foreigners - WHO

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) and China's President Xi Jinping have discussed ways to protect Chinese and foreigners in areas affected by the coronavirus and "possible alternatives" to evacuations, a WHO spokesman said on Tuesday. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who arrived in Beijing on Monday, will return to Geneva on Wednesday, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told a Geneva briefing. The WHO Emergency Committee is being 'kept in the loop' on the evolution of the outbreak, which has spread to 13 other countries, he said.

The WHO has not seen onward human-to-human spread of the virus by travellers returning from China apart from a second family member infected by a returning relative in Vietnam, which is "good news but of course this could change", Lindmeier said.