Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, said at a press briefing that the world is now at a crucial moment facing the pandemic and that it would be tough for countries in the following months.
“We are at a critical juncture in this pandemic, particularly in the northern hemisphere. The next few months are going to be very tough and some countries are on a dangerous track. Too many countries are seeing an exponential increase in cases and that is now leading to hospitals and ICU running close or above capacity and we’re still only in October. We urge leaders to take immediate action, to prevent further unnecessary deaths, essential health services from collapsing and schools shutting again,” said Tedros.
Tedros also called on governments to take comprehensive measures. Countries which have brought the epidemic under control should not let down their guard and those which are still seeing surges in cases should make adjustments on their measures, Tedros said.
He also said that it is necessary for countries to inform their people about the current outbreak situation in their countries and what they should do in response.
Systems that will make it easier for citizens to follow containment measures should be established, which means if people need to be quarantined or if businesses must be temporarily closed, the government will do what it can to help individuals, families and businesses, he said.
Last but not least, Tedros said, if the governments could improve their contact tracing systems and can isolate all cases and contacts, then the mandatory isolation could be avoided.