Countries Should Be Extremely Vigilant As They Relax Lock-down – WHO

The World Health Organization on Monday hailed dwindling COVID-19 infection rates and deaths in some countries, but called on nations to show “extreme vigilance” as they begin loosening their restrictions.

Swathes of Europe began the long process of reopening from coronavirus lockdowns on Monday, with officials in countries like France and Spain emboldened by declining death rates.

“The good news is that there has been a great deal of success in slowing the virus and ultimately saving lives,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual briefing.

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WHO emergencies chief Michael Ryan meanwhile hailed the gradual lifting of the lockdowns as a sign of “hope”.

But he cautioned that “extreme vigilance is required.”

More than 280,000 people have died out of the more than four million known COVID-19 infections worldwide.

And while the drastic measures implemented by many countries have allowed them to get a tentative handle on the virus, there are widespread fears that there could be fresh waves of intense transmission.

Ryan urged countries to boost their public health responses, ensuring they can identify fresh cases, and trace and isolate all contacts, which he said could help “avoid a major second wave”.

But he warned that while “many countries have made very systematic investments in building up their public health capacities during the lockdowns, others have not.”