Covid-19 is now officially a pandemic

The World Health Organization has declared that the spreading coronavirus contagion is now officially a pandemic. 

What it means: The designation means that the novel coronavirus is spreading in many countries at the same time. It is also an acknowledgment that efforts to contain its spread around the world have not succeeded. 

Keep fighting: The WHO urged an all-out fight against the virus, calling on nations to mobilize hospitals and entire societies. “This is the first coronavirus that has reached pandemic proportions, but it also the first one that can be contained,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (pictured). “We should double down and be more aggressive.” 

Global problem: Currently, eight countries—among them the US—are reporting more than 1,000 cases apiece of Covid-19, as the dangerous pneumonia caused by the virus is known, according to the John Hopkins University dashboard. More than 10 further countries now have hundreds of cases. The WHO notes that 81 countries still have no cases. Tedros said these “should give no ground” to the virus. Another 57 countries that have 10 cases or fewer could still stop it quickly. Read the full story.

—Antonio Regalado