The World Health Organization (WHO) is deeply concerned by the alarming levels of the coronavirus spread, severity and inaction, and expects to see the number of cases, deaths and affected countries climb even higher. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said they made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic, IPN reports.

“Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO’s assessment of the threat posed by this coronavirus. It doesn’t change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do. This is the first pandemic caused by a coronavirus. We cannot say this loudly enough, or clearly enough, or often enough: all countries can still change the course of this pandemic. This is the first pandemic that can be controlled,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on Facebook.

There are now more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries, and 4,291 people have died, the WHO said.

Four cases of infection with COVID-19 have been confirmed in Moldova by March 11.