The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared the deadly coronavirus that has killed at least 171 people and infected more than 8,200 people around the world is a global health emergency.

WHO was expected last week to make its decision, but officials said they postponed their announcement to gather more data. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reconvened an emergency committee on the outbreak Thursday. The committee will advise Tedros on whether the outbreak now constitutes a “public health emergency of international concern” and what should be done to manage it.