China reported 508 new cases Tuesday in an outbreak of a viral illness that has spread to the Middle East and Europe.
Another 71 deaths were reported, 68 of them in the city of Wuhan, where the epidemic has been concentrated.
The updates bring mainland China's totals to 77,658 cases and 2,663 deaths.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), addresses a press conference about the update on COVID-19 at the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. (Salvatore Di NolfiKeystone via AP)
After large increases in COVID-19 cases in other countries, the World Heath Organization said the virus had the potential to cause a pandemic but wasn't one yet.
“The past few weeks has demonstrated just how quickly a new virus can spread around the world and cause widespread fear and disruption,” WHO's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
But “for the moment we’re not witnessing the uncontained global spread of this virus,” he said.
Bruce Aylward, an assistant director-general of the World Health Organization speaks with a chart during a press conference in Beijing on Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. Aylward said in Beijing on Monday that China's actions had probably prevented tens of thousands and possibly hundreds of thousands of cases of ther COVID-19 virus. (AP PhotoSam McNeil)
Few commuters ride in an almost empty subway train in Beijing, Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. Regulators on promised tax cuts and other aid Monday to help companies recover from China's virus outbreak and expressed confidence the ruling Communist Party's growth targets can be achieved despite anti-disease controls that shut down much of the economy. (AP PhotoAndy Wong)