The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the coronavirus outbreak to be a global emergency, according to various media sources.

The BBC reported that the WHO made the announcement at a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland, today (January 30).

The WHO had been meeting to discuss such a designation concerning the viral outbreak that was first detected in Wuhan, China, on the last day of 2019. The virus has since spread globally and has infected almost 8,000 people and killed 170.

"The main reason is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, according to the BBC.

This story will be updated as soon as new information is available.