Learn from Asia, WHO says

GENEVA: Europe and North America should follow the example of Asian states by persevering with antiCovid measures and quarantining anyone who came into contact with infected people, a World Health Organisation (WHO) expert said yesterday.

The WHO’s Europe region, which includes Russia, has recorded up to 8500 deaths in the past week — and half the countries have recorded a 50% rise in cases, Mike Ryan, the body’s top emergency expert, told a news conference.

In recent months, authorities in Australia, China, Japan and

South Korea had reduced the spread by detecting cases, isolating them and quarantining contacts, he said.

Their populations had shown ‘‘higher levels of trust’’ in their governments, who had kept up measures longer.

‘‘In other words, they ran through the finish line and beyond and they kept running, because they knew the race wasn’t over,’’ Ryan said.

‘‘The countries in Asia, south Asia, the Western Pacific that have been successful to my mind have really continued to follow through on those key activities,’’ he added. — Reuters