UN chief urges all govts to immediately 'scale up' virus fight

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday urged world governments to urgently scale up their response to the novel coronavirus if they are to stand a chance of stemming its spread.

"Today's declaration of a pandemic is a call to action - for everyone, everywhere," the secretary general said in a statement.

"We can still change the course of this pandemic -- but that means addressing inaction," he said. "I call on every government to step up and scale up their efforts -- now."
The declaration of a pandemic, Guterres said, was "also a call for responsibility and solidarity -- as nations united and as people united." "As we fight the virus, we cannot let fear go viral."
"As we mourn all those who have lost their lives and the many families who are suffering, we must show solidarity with the most vulnerable -- the elderly, the sick, those without reliable healthcare, and those on the edge of poverty."