WHO / CORONAVIRUS INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus, declared a “public health emergency of international concern over the global outbreak of novel coronavirus,” adding that China was setting a “new standard for outbreak response.” WHO

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:03:03
• Production Date: 30 January 2020
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: TEDROS GHEBREYESUS
• Corporate Name: WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION - WHO
• Subject Topical: HEALTH; PUBLIC HEALTH
• Geographic Subject: CHINA
• MAMS Id: 2527136
• Parent Id: 2527136
• Alternate Title: unifeed200130f

Description

STORY: WHO / CORONAVIRUS INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY
TRT: 3:03
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 30 JANUARY 2020, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Shotlist

30 JANUARY 2020, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1. Wide shot, WHO headquarters exterior
2. Med shot, entrance to WHO headquarters
3. Med shot, Tedros walking into Emergency Committee meeting
4. Various shots, Emergency Committee meeting
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Over the past few weeks, we have witnessed the emergence of a previously unknown pathogen, which has escalated into an unprecedented outbreak, and which has been met by an unprecedented response.”
6. Med shot, journalists
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“The speed with which China detected the outbreak, isolated the virus, sequenced the genome and shared it with WHO and the world are very impressive, and beyond words. So is China’s commitment to transparency and to supporting other countries. In many ways, China is actually setting a new standard for outbreak response. It’s not an exaggeration.”
8. Med shot, journalist
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“I am declaring a public health emergency of international concern over the global outbreak of novel coronavirus. The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries. Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, and which are ill-prepared to deal with it.”
10. Med shot, journalists
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“To the people of China and to all of those around the world who have been affected by this outbreak, we want you to know that the world stands with you. We are working diligently with national and international public health partners to bring this outbreak under control as fast as possible.”
12. Med shot, journalists
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“This is the time for facts, not fear. This is the time for science, not rumours. This is the time for solidarity, not stigma.”
14. Med shot, journalist
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“WHO doesn't recommend and actually opposes any restrictions for travel and trade or other measures against China.”
16. Med shot, journalists

Storyline

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus, declared a “public health emergency of international concern over the global outbreak of novel coronavirus,” adding that China was setting a “new standard for outbreak response.”

Speaking to reporters in Geneva today (30 Jan) following a meeting of the WHO’s emergency committee, Tedros said over the past few weeks, “we have witnessed the emergence of a previously unknown pathogen, which has escalated into an unprecedented outbreak, and which has been met by an unprecedented response.”

He said, “The speed with which China detected the outbreak, isolated the virus, sequenced the genome and shared it with WHO and the world are very impressive, and beyond words. So is China’s commitment to transparency and to supporting other countries. In many ways, China is actually setting a new standard for outbreak response. It’s not an exaggeration.”

The Director-General noted that he was declaring the public health emergency of international concern not because of what is happening in China, “but because of what is happening in other countries” adding that WHO’s greatest concern is “the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, and which are ill-prepared to deal with it.”

Speaking to the people of China and to all of those around the world who have been affected by this outbreak, Tedros said, “the world stands with you.” He stressed that WHO is working “diligently with national and international public health partners to bring this outbreak under control as fast as possible.”

SOUNDBITE (English) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“This is the time for facts, not fear. This is the time for science, not rumours. This is the time for solidarity, not stigma.”

The Director-General underscored that WHO “doesn't recommend and actually opposes any restrictions for travel and trade or other measures against China.”