WHO: 'new normal' must prioritise health and economy

Choosing between restoring economic activity and controlling infectious disease is a "false dichotomy," the World Health Organization's Regional Director for the Western Pacific Dr. Takeshi Kasai said on Wednesday. The WHO has advised that countries must strive to ensure that the "new normal" simultaneously prioritises health and the economy.

"No country is safe," as long as the virus is circulating anywhere in today's interconnected world, Kasai warned.

He said all countries must be prepared for the possibility of large-scale community transmission, adding that there is "no room for complacency".

The WHO Western Pacific Region is home to almost 1.9 billion people across 37 countries and areas including Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and various islands of the Pacific.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.