The World Health Organisation has announced that almost 16 million cases of COVID-19 have now been recorded worldwide and more than 640,000 deaths.
The Director General of the World Health Organisation, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made this disclosure at a media briefing on COVID-19 on 27th of July,2020.
He stated that this day marks six months since WHO declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern and this is the sixth time a global health emergency has been declared under the International Health Regulations, but it is easily the most severe.
He said the pandemic has continued to accelerate and in the past 6 weeks, the total number of cases has roughly doubled.
His words, “when I declared a public health emergency of international concern on the 30th of January – the highest level of alarm under international law – there were less than 100 cases outside of China, and no deaths.
“As required under the International Health Regulations, I will reconvene the Emergency Committee later this week to re-evaluate the pandemic and advise me accordingly.
Dr Ghebreyesus adverred that the COVID-19 has changed our world; it has brought people, communities and nations together, and driven them apart.
“It has shown what humans are capable of – both positively and negatively.We have learned an enormous amount, and we’re still learning.
“But although our world has changed, the fundamental pillars of the response have not: political leadership, and informing, engaging and listening to communities.
“And nor have the basic measures needed to suppress transmission and save lives: find, isolate, test and care for cases; and trace and quarantine their contacts.
“Keep your distance from others, clean your hands, avoid crowded and enclosed areas, and wear a mask where recommended, he said.
He declared emphatically that where these measures are followed, cases go down. Where they’re not, cases go up.
“Countries and communities that have followed this advice carefully and consistently have done well, either in preventing large-scale outbreaks – like Cambodia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Thailand, Viet Nam, and islands in the Pacific and Caribbean – or in bringing large outbreaks under control – like Canada, China, Germany and the Republic of Korea.
“These are just a few examples, but there are many more that could have been listed.
“The bottom line is that one of the most fundamental ingredients for stopping this virus is determination, and the willingness to make hard choices to keep ourselves and each other safe.
“Over the past 6 months, WHO has worked tirelessly to support countries to prepare for and respond to this virus.
“I am immensely proud of our organization, WHO, and its incredible people and their efforts, he added.
