WHO lauds Chinese response to coronavirus

The World Health Organization (WHO) praised China on Wednesday for its efforts to tackle the new coronavirus outbreak and expressed optimism that the transmission could be halted. The Geneva-based body will reconvene its Emergency Committee on Thursday. The committee, comprising 16 independent experts, twice last week declined to declare a global emergency. WHO Director General said the decision to reconvene was based partly on evidence of human-to- human transmission outside its epicenter in China.