Globally situation worsening on COVID-19: Dr Tedros

Geneva: The Director General of the World Health Organisation, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in his message to the media today during the global media briefing said that the COVID-19 situation is worsening globally. 

He further stated that almost 7 million cases of COVID-19 have now been reported to WHO, and almost 400,000 deaths. Although the situation in Europe is improving, globally it is worsening. More than 100,000 cases have been reported on 9 of the past 10 days. Yesterday, more than 136,000 cases were reported, the most in a single day so far. Almost 75 per cent of yesterday’s cases come from 10 countries, mostly in the Americas and South Asia.

“Most countries in the African region are still experiencing an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, with some reporting cases in new geographic areas, although most countries in the region have less than 1000 cases. We also see increasing numbers of cases in parts of Eastern Europe and central Asia. At the same time, we’re encouraged that several countries around the world are seeing positive signs, he further expressed.

Advising countries not be complacent, Dr Tedros asserted that the biggest threat now is complacency. Results from studies to see how much of the population has been exposed to the virus show that most people globally are still susceptible to infection. We continue to urge active surveillance to ensure the virus does not rebound, especially as mass gatherings of all kinds are starting to resume in some countries.

7.1 million cases of infection have been reported and over 407,000 death globally due to COVID-19.