Coronavirus declared public health emergency & other topics - Daily Briefing (31 January 2020)

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General. Highlights: - Coronavirus - Oman - Syria - Malawi - Council - Locusts - Appointment - Press Briefings next week - Honour Roll CORONAVIRUS The World Health Organization has declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.  It is also important to note that this designation did not include any travel or trade restriction, based on the current information available. In a tweet published a few minutes ago, WHO’s Director General, Dr. Tedros, reiterated his confidence in China’s capacity to control the outbreak. WHO is actively involved in the response coordination and working on things such as increasing the clinical management capacity of vulnerable countries and interacting with networks of experts to accelerate access to therapeutics and vaccines. Elsewhere in the UN system, the International Organization for Migration said today they are ready to offer technical support to governments to enable people to travel in a healthy manner and to help enact public measures with minimum impact on society and the economy. OMAN This morning, the Secretary-General spoke at a ceremony in the General Assembly to extend his profound condolences to the Royal family, the Government and people of Oman on the passing of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said. The Secretary-General said that Sultan Qaboos led Oman for nearly half a century and transformed it into the remarkable country it is today. He noted that Oman has consistently played a critical role in ensuring lines of communication among disputing parties. And within his country, the Secretary-General added, His Majesty’s vision for Oman saw levels of education for women and men rise exponentially – with a manifold increase in schools, hospitals and roads. His remarks are available online. Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=31%20January%202020