COVID-19 cases worldwide hit 12 million

COVID-19 cases globally have more than doubled in the past six weeks, reaching 12 million on July, 10, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported.

“Across all walks of life, we are all being tested to the limit”, agency chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists, adding that there is still a lot of work to be done.

“From countries where there is exponential growth, to places that are loosening restrictions and now starting to see cases rise. We need leadership, community participation and collective solidarity. Only aggressive action combined with national unity and global solidarity can turn this pandemic around”, he said.

Tedros cited examples from across the globe which show that even where the outbreak has been intense, it can still be brought under control.

“And some of these examples are Italy, Spain and South Korea, and even in Dharavi – a densely packed area in the megacity of Mumbai – a strong focus on community engagement and the basics of testing, tracing, isolating and treating all those that are sick is key to breaking the chains of transmission and suppressing the virus”, he said.

WHO has consistently advised countries coming out of lockdowns to remain vigilant.

Dr. Michael Ryan, Executive Director, said that advice includes opening up slowly and in phases, waiting between each stage, “and to accept the fact that in our current situation, it is very unlikely that we can eradicate or eliminate this virus.”

He pointed out that even in countries that have achieved zero cases of COVID-19, or near zero cases, the disease has resurfaced.

“There is always a risk: either from within or from bringing disease back in. And therefore, it is a given that there is always a risk of further cases”, he said.

An Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPR) has been established to evaluate the world’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Original source: UN News
Published on 10 July 2020