Geneva, March 27, 2020, SPA -- The World Health Organization (WHO) thanked the Group of Twenty (G20) countries for their commitment to help the world in tackling the novel Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), saving the global economy and directing supply chains to confront the virus. In the final communique issued by Extraordinary Virtual Summit held yesterday under chairmanship of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the G20 leaders affirmed commitment to provide full support to the WHO‘s mandate in coordinating international efforts to combat the pandemic, including protection of front-line health workers and provision of medical supplies, particularly diagnostic tools, treatments, medicines and vaccines. In a press conference held in Geneva today, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus announced that the number of people infected with the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) exceeded 500,000 persons around the world, the number of deaths reached 20,000 cases and about 100,000 persons were recovered. "The biggest challenge facing countries in containing the pandemic is the lack of personal protective equipment for health care providers," he said, adding that the organization has sent 2 million of them to 74 countries and will send the same number to 60 other countries. He stressed the importance of the international solidarity and cooperation to overcome this problem. --SPA 00:02 LOCAL TIME 21:02 GMT 0026 www.spa.gov.sa/w1296283