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The world is facing a shortage of gowns, masks and gloves in the fight to halt the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, according to the World Health Organisation.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s director general, said protective equipment has been sent to every region to help fight the outbreak.
“However the world is facing a chronic shortage of personnel protective equipment, as you might imagine,” he said.
He also said that the rate of infections within China had slowed over the last two days, but that “the numbers could go up again”.
Authorities have built a new hospital in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the disease originated, to deal with epidemic.
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Buses carrying British nationals travelling along the M6 motorway on their way to Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside
PA
2/28
A pedestrian wearing a surgical face mask walks outside the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where it is thought that two members of the same family who tested positive for novel coronavirus are being treated
AFP via Getty Images
3/28
Coaches transport the Britons and foreign nationals to Arrowe Park Hospital
Getty Images
4/28
A convoy of coaches carrying British nationals evacuated from Wuhan in China amid the coronavirus outbreak and medical personnel in a protective suit drive away from RAF Brize Norton
AFP via Getty
5/28
British Nationals arrive at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, after having flown in from Wuhan - the Chinese city at the centre of the coronavirus
Tom Maddick / SWNS
6/28
A police outrider heads a convoy of coaches carrying British nationals from the RAF station
AFP via Getty
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Passengers leave the plane
PA
8/28
Barriers are put up at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside, as they prepare for buses carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China
PA
9/28
Some of the eighty-three Britons and 27 foreign nationals who were trapped in Wuhan following a Coronavirus outbreak disembark a plane
Getty Images
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Getty Images
11/28
Ambulance at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire
Tom Maddick / SWNS
12/28
The plane carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, arriving
PA
13/28
Buses and ambulances standing by for the passengers
PA
14/28
Gaming consoles and toys being brought into the Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside, as they prepare for buses carrying British nationals from the RAF base
PA
15/28
The flight track of the aircraft
Flightradar24/PA
16/28
On arrival, the UK passengers will be taken to Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral and quarantined for two weeks
Reuters
17/28
A student wearing a face mask walks close to the Royal Victoria Infirmary where two patients who have tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus are being treated by specialist medical workers
Getty Images
18/28
A woman wearing a face mask passes a Public Health England sign at Heathrow Airport
AFP via Getty
19/28
Ambulance crews arrive at RAF Brize Norton
Tom Maddick / SWNS
20/28
The Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle upon Tyne, where two patients who have tested positive for coronavirus in England
PA
21/28
A woman wears a face mask in Parliament Square in London as the first cases of the virus to be diagnosed in the UK were announced
PA
22/28
Passengers wear face masks after arriving from a flight at Terminal 5 of London Heathrow Airport
AFP via Getty Images
23/28
A St John's Ambulance vehicle exits the Royal Air Force station
AFP via Getty
24/28
A pedestrian wears a face mask as he walks near the Houses of Parliament
AFP via Getty Images
25/28
Coaches arrives at RAF Brize Norton
Tom Maddick / SWNS
26/28
Passengers wear face masks as they stand with their luggage at Heathrow Airport
AFP via Getty
27/28
A man wears a face mask as he walks along the Thames embankment
AFP via Getty Images
28/28
Passengers wear face masks at Heathrow Airport
AFP via Getty
1/28
Buses carrying British nationals travelling along the M6 motorway on their way to Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside
PA
2/28
A pedestrian wearing a surgical face mask walks outside the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where it is thought that two members of the same family who tested positive for novel coronavirus are being treated
AFP via Getty Images
3/28
Coaches transport the Britons and foreign nationals to Arrowe Park Hospital
Getty Images
4/28
A convoy of coaches carrying British nationals evacuated from Wuhan in China amid the coronavirus outbreak and medical personnel in a protective suit drive away from RAF Brize Norton
AFP via Getty
5/28
British Nationals arrive at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, after having flown in from Wuhan - the Chinese city at the centre of the coronavirus
Tom Maddick / SWNS
6/28
A police outrider heads a convoy of coaches carrying British nationals from the RAF station
AFP via Getty
7/28
Passengers leave the plane
PA
8/28
Barriers are put up at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside, as they prepare for buses carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China
PA
9/28
Some of the eighty-three Britons and 27 foreign nationals who were trapped in Wuhan following a Coronavirus outbreak disembark a plane
Getty Images
10/28
Getty Images
11/28
Ambulance at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire
Tom Maddick / SWNS
12/28
The plane carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, arriving
PA
13/28
Buses and ambulances standing by for the passengers
PA
14/28
Gaming consoles and toys being brought into the Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside, as they prepare for buses carrying British nationals from the RAF base
PA
15/28
The flight track of the aircraft
Flightradar24/PA
16/28
On arrival, the UK passengers will be taken to Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral and quarantined for two weeks
Reuters
17/28
A student wearing a face mask walks close to the Royal Victoria Infirmary where two patients who have tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus are being treated by specialist medical workers
Getty Images
18/28
A woman wearing a face mask passes a Public Health England sign at Heathrow Airport
AFP via Getty
19/28
Ambulance crews arrive at RAF Brize Norton
Tom Maddick / SWNS
20/28
The Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle upon Tyne, where two patients who have tested positive for coronavirus in England
PA
21/28
A woman wears a face mask in Parliament Square in London as the first cases of the virus to be diagnosed in the UK were announced
PA
22/28
Passengers wear face masks after arriving from a flight at Terminal 5 of London Heathrow Airport
AFP via Getty Images
23/28
A St John's Ambulance vehicle exits the Royal Air Force station
AFP via Getty
24/28
A pedestrian wears a face mask as he walks near the Houses of Parliament
AFP via Getty Images
25/28
Coaches arrives at RAF Brize Norton
Tom Maddick / SWNS
26/28
Passengers wear face masks as they stand with their luggage at Heathrow Airport
AFP via Getty
27/28
A man wears a face mask as he walks along the Thames embankment
AFP via Getty Images
28/28
Passengers wear face masks at Heathrow Airport
AFP via Getty
There are over 30,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus around the world, with over 600 deaths having been reported, the vast majority in China.
Three people have been diagnosed with the virus – which gives flu-like symptoms but can develop into pneumonia – in the UK.
Meanwhile, a British national is reportedly being treated for the disease after being tested on a quarantined ship off the coast of Japan.
WHO has declared an international health emergency over what it called an “unprecedented outbreak”.
The director general of the United Nation’s health body also urged countries to share detailed case reports with the organisation “immediately”.
Additional reporting by Reuters