It is still too soon to declare victory against the coronavirus pandemic. Fresh clusters have resurfaced in Seoul in South Korea and Wuhan in China after controls were eased, prompting their governments to revive shutdowns and ramp up efforts to test and trace. Countries need to progress slowly and steadily, says the WHO, and be vigilant against a second wave of infections.
GENEVA • The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that "extreme vigilance" was needed as countries begin to exit from lockdowns imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus, amid global concerns about a second wave of infections.
Germany earlier reported an acceleration in new coronavirus infections after it took early steps to ease its lockdown.
South Korea, another country that had succeeded in limiting virus infections, has seen a new outbreak in nightclubs.
"Now we are seeing some hope as many countries exit these so-called lockdowns," Dr Mike Ryan, head of the WHO's emergencies programme, told an online news briefing on Monday. But he added that "extreme vigilance is required". He 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 was "complex and difficult" and that the "slow, steady lifting of lockdowns" was key to protecting lives and livelihoods.
He said Germany, South Korea and China all had systems in place to respond to any resurgence in cases.
Meanwhile, leading US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci yesterday warned Congress that a premature opening of the nation's economy could lead to additional outbreaks of the deadly coronavirus.
The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases warned a US Senate panel that states should follow health experts' recommendations to wait for signs including a declining number of new infections before reopening.
President Donald Trump has been encouraging states to end a weeks-long shuttering of major components of their economies.
Dr Fauci said: "If some areas, cities, states or what have you jump over those various checkpoints and prematurely open up without having the capability of being able to respond effectively and efficiently, my concern is that we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks." He said "the consequences could be really serious".
He repeated his call for a vaccine as essential to stopping the spread of the virus and reducing the rate of deaths.
REUTERS
