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Singapore minister says coronavirus outbreak emerging as pandemic

FILE PHOTO: Members of the multi-ministry taskforce, Director of Medical Services at the Ministry of Health Kenneth Mark, Minister of Health Gan Kim Yong, Minister of National Development Lawrence Wong and Liew Wei Li, Director of Schools, Ministry of Education, give a news conference after raising the coronavirus outbreak alert to Orange in Singapore, February 7, 2020. REUTERS/Aradhana Aravindan

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – The coronavirus spreading around the world from China is “starting to look like a global pandemic,” said Singapore minister Lawrence Wong, who co-heads the country’s virus fighting taskforce.

The spread of the infection has been accelerating in other parts of the world, including in Europe and North America, in recent days.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has not categorized the current situation as a pandemic but has said the United Nations agency would use the term if it became necessary.

Reporting by John Geddie in Singapore; Editing by Shri Navaratnam

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Source: Reuters.com