WHO: Divided world is greatest threat
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AFP/ Xinhua) — As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic continues to accelerate, World Health Organization (WHO) director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the greatest threat is not the virus itself, which has now killed over 470,000 people, but “‘the lack of global solidarity and global leadership.”’
“‘We cannot defeat this pandemic with a divided world,”’ he said. “The politicization of the pandemic has exacerbated it.”
Global coronavirus infections has already topped nine million and Saudi Arabia announced it would scale back the hajj Islamic pilgrimage next month.
Europe has steadily eased its travel lockdowns in recent weeks, and France on Monday took its biggest step back to normality by allowing millions of children to return to school.
But many parts of the world, including Latin America and South Asia, are only beginning to feel the full force of the pandemic, while other regions are being hit with second waves.
“The pandemic is still accelerating,” Tedros told a virtual health forum organized in the United Arab Emirates.
Well-established pandemic
Michael Ryan, Executive Director of WHO Health Emergencies Program, said Monday that in light of the accelerating increase in new cases, especially in some populous countries, the COVID-19 pandemic is now well-established at a global level.
“The situation is definitely accelerating in a number of countries with larger populations and that is most certainly contributing to this overall increased number,” he explained.
Ryan said that some of that increase may be attributed to increased testing, but the WHO does not believe that testing is the main reason.
“Hospital admissions are also rising in a number of countries, deaths are also rising, and they’re not due to increased testing per se,” he noted.
He said that as the virus has reached some of the most populous countries and most populated areas in the world, and as the epidemic is now moving towards a peak in a number of large countries at the same time, they contribute to a surge in cases globally.
“Now in Europe ... you’re seeing the curves decrease. In Southeast Asia, you’re seeing the curves decrease. And then the overall numbers increase, which clearly means the Americas are contributing, South Asia is contributing very much, but also there are countries in the Middle East and there are countries in Africa that are also contributing to that overall increase.”
The latest numbers from the WHO show that more than 183,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported worldwide on Sunday, which was easily the most in a single day so far. More than 8.8 million cases have now been reported to the WHO, and more than 465,000 people have lost lives.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is one of the leaders to have repeatedly played down the threat, comparing the virus to a ‘’little flu’’ and arguing the economic impact of shutdowns is worse than the virus itself.
More than 50,000 people have been confirmed to have died from the virus in Brazil, with the true number believed to be far higher.
Brazil’s official death toll is second only to the United States, which has recorded 120,000 fatalities, and President Donald Trump’s handling of the crisis has been widely criticised as erratic and chaotic.
Trump on Monday said the American toll could surpass 150,000, as two more members of his team that helped organize a controversial weekend rally for him in Oklahoma tested positive.
Mexico, Peru, Chile and Argentina are also coping with crises -Mexico
City being forced to delay plans for a broad reopening of the economy as the country’s death toll raced past 20,000.
With a vaccine still far away, the WHO has called for a rapid increase in production of the steroid dexamethasone, which has been shown to have life-saving potential.
‘Very limited’ hajj
Saudi Arabia said it would allow a ‘’very limited’’ number of pilgrims to its annual hajj ritual, which last year drew 2.5 million pilgrims from around the world.
The hajj, a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime, represents a potentially major source of contagion.
Authorities said a hajj only involving pilgrims already in the kingdom would be permitted.
In Europe however, countries continued to ease their restrictions.
Thousands of French people danced and partied in the streets well into Monday for an annual music festival, in the first big blowout since the lockdown.
Many felt the authorities were too lax.
Swimming pools and cinemas also reopened while children up to the age of 15 returned to school.
In England authorities said cinemas, museums and galleries would reopen on July 4 in the next phase of easing lockdowns as infection rates there also slow.
But illustrating the persisting risks, Portugal Prime Minister Antonio Costa said restrictions on gatherings of more than 10 people would be reimposed and cafes and shops ordered to close at 8:00 pm in Lisbon.
Australians were warned to avoid travelling to Melbourne as the country’s second-biggest city tightened restrictions over fears of an upsurge in cases.
China, Germany, South Korea and Japan are also battling new outbreaks,
with some reintroducing containment measures.