World Health Organization Declares Coronavirus Crisis A Pandemic
ROME (AP/KDKA) - The World Health Organization is declaring that the global coronavirus crisis is now a pandemic.
The assessment comes as Italy is weighing even tighter restrictions on daily life and has announced billions in financial relief to cushion economic shocks from the coronavirus.
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"We have therefore made the assessment that #COVID19 can be characterized as a pandemic"-@DrTedros #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/JqdsM2051A
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 11, 2020
Premier Giuseppe Conte says he will consider requests to toughen an already extraordinary lockdown. The hardest-hit region of Lombardy is pushing for a shutdown of nonessential businesses and public transportation on top of travel and social restrictions.
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The death toll in Italy has risen to 631. In the U.S., more than 1,000 people have been infected.
As of Wednesday at noon, there were 15 confirmed cases in Pennsylvania, all in the eastern part of the state.
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