Dr. Michael Ryan(L), executive director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Health Emergencies Program, addresses a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 18, 2020. (Photo by Chen Junxia/Xinhua)

Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO's Health Emergencies Program, attributed China's success to a "huge partnership between communities, scientific institutions, public health institutions in the government" and "a lot of cooperation, very sustained commitment to getting the job done."

GENEVA, Sept. 7  -- Senior World Health Organization (WHO) officials on Monday congratulated the front-line health workers and the people in China for having reached a successful outcome in fighting COVID-19.

"Our deepest congratulations go to the front-line health workers in China and the population who worked together tirelessly to bring the disease to this very low level," said Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO's Health Emergencies Program, at a routine WHO press briefing.

He was responding to questions about the fact that China has had no local COVID-19 infections for more than two weeks, as all new cases have been imported from abroad but quarantined right after detection.

Ryan attributed to China's success to a "huge partnership between communities, scientific institutions, public health institutions in the government" and "a lot of cooperation, very sustained commitment to getting the job done."

"So we congratulate the front-line workers and the communities in China for having reached such a successful outcome," he said.

"But as we've learned in other countries... it's not over anywhere until it's over everywhere," Ryan said, adding that "there's no room for complacency" as China continues to have imported cases from outside.

"As normal life returns in many countries and especially in China, there's always the risk that the disease can flare up again," he said.