WHO chief TedrosAdhanom Ghebreyesus said it took 67 days from the beginning of the outbreak in China in December for the virus to infect the first 100,000 people worldwide. In comparison, it took 11 days for the second 100,000 cases and just four days for the third 100,000 cases.
The number of officially recorded cases is believed to represent only a fraction of the true number of infections, with many countries only testing the most severe cases in need of hospitalisation. The WHO chief said people should stay at home and apply social distancing measures to avoid virus spreading.