Iran Press/Asia: The World Health Organization is considering declaring the latest novel coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency and warned all governments to be "on alert".
The WHO has come under fire after it last week declined to declare a global health emergency.
Chinese authorities have taken extraordinary steps to arrest the virus's spread, including effectively locking down more than 50 million people in Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province.
The number of confirmed new cases also rose by 1,732 for a total of 7,711 cases, the National Health Commission said. Another 81,000 people were under observation for possible infection.
The global health body's chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed regret for what he called a "human error" in the WHO's assessment.
WHO's Emergency Committee will meet on Thursday to decide whether to declare an emergency, which could lead to travel or trade barriers.
China also has urged its own citizens to delay trips abroad, after more than 15 countries confirmed infections.
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