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February 23, 2020 The coronavirus epidemic may jeopardize the recovery of the world economy and it would be prudent to "prepare for the most adverse scenarios". This is what the director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, warns in a statement released at the end of the meeting of the finance ministers and central bank governors of the G20 countries, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

"We meet in a moment of particular uncertainty," said Georgieva, recalling that at the beginning of the year "global growth seemed to have stopped, with signs of stabilization and modest growth, from 2.9% last year at 3.3% ".

"But since this projection was made, the Covid-19 virus, a global health emergency, has affected economic activity in China and can put the recovery at risk," warns the IMF director. "Even in the event of rapid containment of the virus, there will be an impact on the economy in China and in the rest of the world," continues Georgieva, stressing that "given the uncertainty, it would be prudent to prepare for the most adverse scenarios". The IMF urges countries to work together to contain Covid-19 as regards the impact on both health and the economy. Through Catastrophe and Containment Relief Trust, the IMF can provide loans to the most vulnerable countries.