Chile to send experts to China for coronavirus measures

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Chile will send a delegation of health professionals to coronavirus-hit China as soon as possible to learn the Asian country's experience in containing the outbreak, according to the country's Health Ministry.

"After last Friday President Sebastian Pinera spoke by telephone with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, saying the Health Ministry will soon send to China a delegation of professionals who will know in the field the measures taken by that country to face the Public Health Emergency of International Importance by COVID-19," the statement released on Monday said.

The announcement came after Health Minister Jaime Manalich's meeting in China with Chinese Ambassador to Chile Xu Bu.

The delegation will consist of four national experts, including two doctors, a nurse and a statistical professional.

"The objective of this meeting has been to follow up on the conversation that President Sebastian Pinera had last Friday with the Chinese president, to recognize all the efforts that this country, with very intense measures, is making to control the outbreak of coronavirus," Manalich said.

The situation in China is "extraordinarily important" as the number of new coronavirus cases increases every day worldwide, Manalich said, underscoring that the measures China have applied are "working".

He said that since the outbreak began two months ago, China has "the lowest number of new cases," while the largest increase in cases is being reported outside of China, citing the data of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Chile has not confirmed any coronavirus case so far, however, the Pinera government already installed various prevention mechanisms in case of the possible spread of the epidemic.

As the global deaths due to the virus have passed 3,000 with more than 88,000 infected, no death has been reported in Latin America yet.

The confirmed cases in the South and Central America are in single-digits so far; Ecuador reported six new cases, while five cases have been confirmed in Mexico, and two in Brazil.

The coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread from Asia across the globe, including the U.S., Europe and the Middle East.

The World Health Organization, which already declared the outbreak an international health emergency Friday, has raised the global coronavirus alert level from high to very high.