G7 health ministers agree on coordinated approach to coronavirus

Health ministers from the Group of Seven leading industrial nations agreed to coordinate their response to dealing with the coronavirus in a conference call on Monday, the German Health Ministry said.

The ministers agreed to coordinate - as far as possible - their approach to travel regulations and precautions, research into the new virus and cooperation with the World Health Organization, the European Union and China.

"An appropriate response to the virus can only be coordinated internationally and at the European level. Because a virus knows neither borders nor nationalities," German Health Minister Jens Spahn said in a statement, adding he would meet the British and French health ministers on Tuesday.