Geneva (Switzerland): Urging all countries to ‘push the COVID-19 virus back’, the World Health Organisation on Friday warned that the deadly coronavirus is spreading 17 times faster outside China and asked countries to pull out “all the stops” to slow the epidemic.
“This is not a drill. This is not the time for giving up. This is not a time for excuses. This is a time for pulling out all the stops,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva.
“Countries have been planning for scenarios like this for decades. Now is the time to act on those plans,” he added.
Tedros also announced that the WHO is launching its new social media campaign — “Be Ready for COVID-19” — urging people to be safe, smart and informed when faced by the COVID-19 outbreak.
“We know people are afraid, and that’s normal and appropriate … That fear can be managed and moderated with accurate information,” he said.
“If you feel overwhelmed by fear, reach out to those around you. Find out what your community’s emergency response plans are, how you fit in and how you can help. There’s still a lot we don’t know, but every day we’re learning more, and we’re working around the clock to fill in the gaps in our knowledge.” Tedros added.
The deadly COVID-19 virus has killed over 3,300 people around the world and affected over 98,000. In Italy, which is Europe’s centre of the outbreak, the government has ordered a 10-day shutdown of the education system. Till Thursday, the death toll in Italy was 148 while 3,858 cases were reported.
Meanwhile in Iran, 107 people have died due to the deadly coronavirus while in US, 12 have died from the virus and hundreds are placed in self-quarantines due to cases in a New York suburb.
In China, where hospitals were releasing hundreds of recovered patients, officials reported 139 new infection cases and 31 more deaths. Overall, China has reported 80,409 cases and 3,012 deaths, and authorities say about 6,000 people remained hospitalized in serious condition.
A state visit to Japan by Chinese President Xi Jinping was postponed. It was to have been the first for a Chinese leader since 2008.
“This is not a drill. This is not the time for giving up. This is not a time for excuses. This is a time for pulling out all the stops,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva.
“Countries have been planning for scenarios like this for decades. Now is the time to act on those plans,” he added.
Tedros also announced that the WHO is launching its new social media campaign — “Be Ready for COVID-19” — urging people to be safe, smart and informed when faced by the COVID-19 outbreak.
“We know people are afraid, and that’s normal and appropriate … That fear can be managed and moderated with accurate information,” he said.
“If you feel overwhelmed by fear, reach out to those around you. Find out what your community’s emergency response plans are, how you fit in and how you can help. There’s still a lot we don’t know, but every day we’re learning more, and we’re working around the clock to fill in the gaps in our knowledge.” Tedros added.
The deadly COVID-19 virus has killed over 3,300 people around the world and affected over 98,000. In Italy, which is Europe’s centre of the outbreak, the government has ordered a 10-day shutdown of the education system. Till Thursday, the death toll in Italy was 148 while 3,858 cases were reported.
Meanwhile in Iran, 107 people have died due to the deadly coronavirus while in US, 12 have died from the virus and hundreds are placed in self-quarantines due to cases in a New York suburb.
In China, where hospitals were releasing hundreds of recovered patients, officials reported 139 new infection cases and 31 more deaths. Overall, China has reported 80,409 cases and 3,012 deaths, and authorities say about 6,000 people remained hospitalized in serious condition.
A state visit to Japan by Chinese President Xi Jinping was postponed. It was to have been the first for a Chinese leader since 2008.
