The World Health Organization has declared the worldwide outbreak of the new coronavirus a pandemic.

Speaking in Geneva on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the spread of COVID-19 had reached the level of a pandemic, noting there are now more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries and 4,291 deaths.

He said that while the declaration ``doesn't change what countries should do`` to aggressively contain the virus, the UN health agency is ``deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity.''

Tedros said: ``We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear.