The head of the World Health Organization on Thursday urged countries around the world to take necessary measures to prevent the new coronavirus from becoming a pandemic, saying the situation has reached "a decisive point."

"If you act aggressively now, you can contain this virus. You can prevent people getting sick. You can save lives," WHO Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus said in a press briefing.

"Our message continues to be that this virus has pandemic potential and WHO is providing the tools to help every country to prepare accordingly," he said.

(World Health Organization Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus (L) meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Jan. 28, 2020, to discuss how to curb the spread of a new coronavirus)

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The WHO chief indicated that the situation is pressing, saying that over the past two days the number of new cases outside China has exceeded the number of new cases within the country.

At the same time, Tedros said, "This virus is not influenza. With the right measures, it can be contained," noting that evidence from China suggests there does not appear to be widespread community transmission.

In late January, the WHO declared the outbreak of the new coronavirus originating from China a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.