US$675m sought for poorer nations

Mary Ann Benitez

The World Health Organization chief is asking for US$675 million (HK$5.26 bilion) to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus and protect countries with weaker health systems for the next three months.

Director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the WHO will lead a delegation to China shortly, and a meeting will be convened on Tuesday and Wednesday in Geneva on treatment and the development of vaccines for the new coronavirus.

He conceded it is "a lot of money but it is much less than the bill we would face if we don't invest in preparedness now during the window of opportunity that we have."

A member of the emergency committee on the nCov acute respiratory disease said in a report that China's initial response was "reprehensible and cases were hidden and not rapidly reported."

Tedros, who was coughing throughout the nearly hour-long press briefing, said: "I cannot say they hid or they did it but if you see some of the information we have, the number of cases outside of China [is] very small."

The WHO chief went to Beijing in late January and met with President Xi Jinping.

Meanwhile, the WHO is investigating a case where at least three employees of a multinational company who were infected after attending a meeting of more than 100 staff in Singapore.

Malaysia and South Korea have confirmed the three cases are related to the mid-January company meeting held with 94 overseas staff at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Singapore said late on Wednesday four other attendees were showing symptoms of infection.

Authorities have not revealed the name of the company that held the meeting or what business it is involved in.

Malaysian health authorities have said people from China including one from the city of Wuhan, attended.

"WHO is coordinating with the relevant ministries of health in relation to it," Olivia Lawe-Davies, a spokeswoman for the WHO, said in response.

Singapore has reported 28 cases of the coronavirus, including some involving human-to-human transmissions.