WHO Chief Takes Note Of Decrease In Global New COVID-19 Cases, Says, ‘Coronavirus Can Be Controlled’

Geneva: The global decrease in the number of new emerging cases of COVID-19 suggests that the virus can be controlled regardless of its mutations, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “For the third week in a row, the number of new cases of #COVID19 reported globally fell last week. There are still many countries with increasing numbers of cases, but at the global level, this is encouraging news,” Dr Tedros said at a Monday (February 1) briefing, adding “It shows this virus can be controlled, even with the new variants in circulation.”

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The WHO chief warned governments against opening up too quickly, as that could enable the coronavirus to come back in full strength. Dr Tedros said governments need to make appropriate adjustments, such as making quarantine measures easier to adhere to.

“Controlling the spread of the #COVID19 virus saves lives now, and saves lives later by reducing the chances of more variants emerging. And it helps to ensure vaccines remain effective,” Dr Tedros said.

On Friday (January 29), the WHO chief warned against coronavirus vaccine hoarding, saying it could lead to slow global economic recovery and most importantly a never-ending pandemic. Since the start of the pandemic last year, more than 103 million coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide, with over 2.2 million fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University. Protests against tough coronavirus restrictions have been held in various countries as businesses are slow to recover and people are struggling amid deteriorating economic conditions.

Also Read: Focus On Health In Budget Testimony To India’s Commitment To Fight COVID-19: WHO South-East Asia

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.