WHO says Europe remains in 'eye of the storm' as countries ease COVID-19 lockdown

Wolrd Health Organisation (WHO) said that Europe remains in the “eye of the storm” even as the worst-hit countries showing some positive signs vis-a-vis the number of coronavirus cases. WHO Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, told a news conference on April 16 that positive signals in some countries are tempered by “sustained or increased levels” of incidence in other countries.

Kluge said that the next few weeks will be critical for Europe as cases across the region continue to climb and the number of cases reported in Europe in the past 10 days has nearly doubled to close to a million. He highlighted that about 50 per cent of the global burden of COVID-19 is in Europe with over 84,000 people in the region losing their lives due to the virus.

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'Gradual shift in measures'

The WHO official warned that several countries are yet to feel the full impact of the virus while others are experiencing a lull as numbers of new cases of COVID-19 are falling. He emphasised that governments and health authorities must come up with answers to identify when and under what conditions we can consider a safe transition through a gradual shift in measures.

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According to the latest report, nearly 2.1 million coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide with more than 135,600 deaths, overwhelming the health care facilities across the globe. The United States, Italy, Spain and France are the worst-hit countries due to the pandemic with over 64 per cent of death toll reported from these four countries alone.

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