Dr. Michael Ryan, chief of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Health Emergencies Programme

“We’re not seeing a dramatic increase in transmission outside China, except for  cases of infection on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is in quarantine in Yokohama port, Japan,” said Dr. Michael Ryan, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Health Emergencies Programme chief, at a press briefing in Geneva. He also shared that a group of WHO special experts will arrive in China this week to support the fight against Covid-19.

Thursday recorded 44 new  cases of infection on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, raising the number of passengers who tested positive for the virus to 219. The Japanese authorities decided to let several elderly passengers off the ship on Friday and they will continue to be quarantined until February 19.

In another development,  China’s central government on Thursday held a high-level meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang in which a consensus was reached on adopting different measures for each locality in the fight against Covid-19.