Public health expert John Ashton claimed the deadly virus has already become a pandemic, accusing WHO of “mincing their words” to feed a political game. Speaking to Channel 4 News he warned coronavirus has reached all the requirements of a world pandemic as it demands the cooperation of more than 30 countries across the globe now affected by it. He said: “I think they are mincing their words.
“This kind of situations are very political and when you look at the criteria for a pandemic this is something which is a novel virus, it’s now worldwide.
“There are something like 37 countries already affected. It requires a coordinated collaborative response from countries around the world.
“This to all intents and purposes is a pandemic.
“People are cutting corners in saying what it is. But it requires the organised efforts of everybody.”
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WHO director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus warned that, while the spread of the virus around the world is not yet at a pandemic stage, it has the potential to become one.
Travellers returning to the UK from northern Italy should self-isolate as part of measures to stop the spread of coronavirus, ministers have said.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said official advice, updated at 8am on Tuesday, has been changed to say that those who have been to northern Italy – north of Pisa – should self-isolate if they have flu-like symptoms.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, he added: “If people have been to the affected areas that the Italian government have quarantined then they should self-isolate whether or not they have symptoms.”
He added: “In terms of going to Italy as a whole we haven’t changed that travel advice.
“But we are clear that, if you come back from northern Italy and you have symptoms, then you should self-isolate.”
The updated advice said people returning from Iran, lockdown areas of northern Italy, special care zones in South Korea, and Hubei province in China since February 19 should call NHS 111, stay indoors and avoid contact with other people even if they do not have symptoms.
People returning from north of Pisa and Florence in Italy, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Burma (Myanmar) from the same date who develop symptoms should stay at home, avoid contact with other people and also call NHS 111.