The World Health Organization has warned countries around the world against lifting lockdown restrictions meant to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
According to the WHO chief, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus “Lifting so-called lockdown restrictions is not the end of the epidemic in any country; it’s just the beginning of the next phase.”
Across the United States, protesters have been pushing for an end to lockdown restrictions while other European countries are planning to ease restrictions.
Tedros said “It’s vital in this next phase [of the pandemic] that countries educate, engage and empower their people to prevent and respond rapidly to any resurgence”
He said countries must also “ensure they have the capacity to detect, test, isolate and care for every case, and trace every contact,” adding they must also “ensure their health systems have the capacity to absorb any increase in cases.”
Millions infected
Over 160,000 people have been killed by the coronavirus with over 2 million people infected across over 180 countries of the world as at April 19, 2020.
“Lifting so-called lockdown restrictions is not the end of the epidemic in any country; it’s just the beginning of the next phase.
It’s vital in this next phase that countries educate, engage and empower their people to prevent and respond rapidly to any resurgence”-@DrTedros
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 19, 2020
Dr. Tedros said “We are deeply concerned that the virus now appears to be gathering pace in countries that lack the capacity of many G20 countries to respond to it.”
He said “Urgent support is needed, not only to support countries to respond to COVID19, but to ensure other essential health services continue.”
“One of the biggest challenges we face in Africa and other countries is the critical shortage of supplies, and the ability to deliver them because of weak supply chains.”
It is still not clear when the pandemic could ease with several countries still recording high cases.
Countries in Africa for example are now recording a surge in infection cases and are yet to even reach their peak.
Source: Africafeeds.com
