Published 22:31 IST, March 13th 2020
"Europe has now become the epicenter of the Coronavirus pandemic": WHO's big statement
Addressing a press briefing on Friday, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that Europe had become the new epicenter of COVID-19.
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Addressing a press briefing on Friday, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that Europe had become the new epicenter of the novel coronavirus. To buttress this point, he highlighted that more cases were being reported every day in Europe than they were in China at the height of the COVID-19 outbreak. Moreover, he termed the spread of the pandemic resulting in 5000 deaths as a “tragic milestone”. On Wednesday, the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak as 'pandemic'.
"Europe has now become the epicenter of the #COVID19 pandemic, with more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from #China.
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 13, 2020
More cases are now being reported every day than were reported in 🇨🇳 at the height of its epidemic"-@DrTedros #coronavirus
"More than 132,000 cases of #COVID19 have now been reported to WHO, from 123 countries and territories.
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 13, 2020
5,000 people have lost their lives, a tragic milestone"-@DrTedros #coronavirus
WHO advises nations to adopt a comprehensive approach
Dr. Tedros mentioned that the WHO had shipped supplies of personal protective equipment to 56 countries, which would be extended to 28 more nations. He advised the countries to take a comprehensive approach rather than focus on one particular aspect, whether it is contact tracing or social distancing. Furthermore, he contended that any country which looked at the experience of other countries with large epidemics and assumed “that it won’t happen to us” was making a deadly mistake.
"We’re continuing to support countries to prepare and respond.
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 13, 2020
We have shipped supplies of personal protective equipment to 56 countries, we’re shipping to a further 28, and we’ve sent almost 1.5 million diagnostic tests to 120 countries"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus
"Our message to countries continues to be: you must take a comprehensive approach.
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 13, 2020
Not testing alone. Not contact tracing alone. Not quarantine alone. Not social distancing alone. Do it all"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus
22:31 IST, March 13th 2020