The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the coronavirus to be a global health emergency.
WHO deliberated for two weeks about whether or not to make the declaration about the coronavirus, which began in China’s Hubei province, in the city of Wuhan. The declaration gives WHO the ability to put travel advisories in place and to review measures being taken to stop the virus.
The death toll has already exceeded 170 and continues to grow, with well over 8,000 cases identified. China Partner’s Erik Burklin says the declaration means little to the average person, but does incite a feeling of panic. “I think right now a lot of the medical professionals, including the ones in China, don’t know what they’re dealing with. They just are basically reacting to the symptoms.”
The most dramatic action has been taken in the city where the coronavirus first mutated. Burklin says, “Wuhan has literally been shut down and many other cities in the same province have been shut down. You can’t travel. You can’t go outside. You can’t go to stores. In fact, they’re running out of food and all kinds of basic items.”
But the Gospel continues to spread. China Partner has a strong relationship with the Christians in Wuhan, and Burklin says pastors there are ministering in the middle of the panic. “They basically encourage their congregations not to fear and to be at the forefront of helping others.”
SOURCE: Mission Network News, Kevin Zeller
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