Iran Press/Europe: “Now we are seeing some hope as many countries exit these so-called lockdowns,” Dr. Mike Ryan, head of the WHO’s emergency program, told an online news briefing. But he added that “extreme vigilance is required”.
“If the disease persists at a low level without the capacity to investigate clusters, there’s always the risk that the virus takes off again,” he said.
Governments around the world are struggling with the question of how to reopen their economies while still containing COVID-19, the lung disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Ryan said he was hopeful that Germany and South Korea would be able to suppress new clusters and praised their surveillance, which he said was key to avoiding large second waves.
“It’s really important that we hold up examples of countries who are willing to open their eyes and willing to keep their eyes open,” he said. In contrast, he said other countries, without naming them, were “trying to drive through this blindly”.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the same briefing that lifting restrictions were “complex and difficult” and that the “slow, steady lifting of lockdowns” was key to protecting lives and livelihoods.
“Until there is a vaccine, the comprehensive package of measures is our most effective set of tools to tackle the virus,” Tedros said.
