The strong measures taken by China at the epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak have prevented significant spread abroad, providing a "window of opportunity" to halt transmission, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday, calling for greater solidarity of the world.

It's important to underline that 99 percent of the cases are in China, and 97 percent of the deaths are in Hubei Province, pointed out Tedros.

The WHO will continue to work closely with the Chinese government to support its efforts to address the coronavirus outbreak at the epicenter, he added.

Tedros also reiterated his call for countries not to impose travel and trade restrictions because of the virus.

"Such restrictions can have the effect of increasing fear and stigma, with little public health benefit," he said, adding that 22 countries have so far informed the WHO they are implementing such measures.

"Where such measures have been implemented, we urge that they are short in duration, proportionate to the public health risks, and are reconsidered regularly as the situation evolves," he said.

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At the meeting, Chen Xu, China's envoy to the UN in Geneva, reiterated China's willingness to continue information sharing with other countries in an open and transparent way.

Since the outbreak of the new coronavirus, the Chinese government has taken effective measures to control the spread, said Chen.

Some countries' restrictions do not comply with WHO advice, he pointed out, calling on them not to overreact. 

(With input from AFP)