Coronavirus risk upgraded by the World Health Organisation

The global risk of the coronavirus outbreak has been upgraded by the World Health Organisation to the highest possible level.

The health body stopped short of declaring a pandemic saying the disease could still be contained if countries acted quickly.

The virus has now spread to more than 50 countries across the world and infected more than 80,000 people, resulting in 2,800 deaths.

Over the last twenty-four hours the spread of the illness has slowed in China which reported its lowest number of new cases since it began publicly reporting.

However, Nigeria, Mexico, New Zealand, Belarus and the Netherlands have reported their first infections.

Image: Associated Press