The novel coronavirus pandemic is still accelerating and its effects will be felt for decades, the World Health Organization’s director-general told an online conference on Monday.
“The pandemic is still accelerating,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the virtual health forum organised by Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
“We know that the pandemic is much more than a health crisis, it is an economic crisis, a social crisis and in many countries a political crisis. Its effects will be felt for decades to come.”
Pakistan among countries hardest hit by Covid-19
Pakistan continues in the top 10 countries for daily coronavirus case increases, 4,471 new cases on Sunday taking its tally to 181,088, according to government data. At least 89 people died of coronavirus on Sunday, taking its death toll to 3,661.
On June 20, Pakistan resumed limited commercial international flights into and out of the country, a first since March 21. Domestic commercial flights resumed on May 16.
Testing in Pakistan continues at around 30,000 tests a day, well below the 50,000 recommended by the WHO. The government enforces “smart lockdown” on infection hotspots, rather than entire cities. However, local newspaper Dawn quoted officials in the northern city of Rawalpindi saying they did not have enough police personnel to enforce lockdowns in identified hotspots, raising fears the new approach may not work.
SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies
