The World Health Organization is urging countries not to close their borders to travelers from China in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the appeal while speaking to the U.N. agency's executive board at a public meeting in Geneva on Monday.

He said China was using the right strategy to combat the virus, adding that it's time for the world to prepare based on the opportunity created now, which is low or slow spread abroad.

He issued the remarks as governments clamp down on travel to China, airlines suspend flights and concerns grow over rising xenophobia and racism against Chinese people and other Asians.

The WHO chief also addressed the decision last week to declare the outbreak a global emergency, reiterating that it was prompted by increased human-to-human spread of the virus and fear it could have a significant impact on developing countries with weaker health systems.

As part of its six-day meeting, the WHO executive board plans to hold a special technical session on the virus Tuesday.■

<Photo: Yonhap News>

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