Countries are on a dangerous track of coronavirus; says WHO

 

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that too many countries are witnessing an exponential increase in coronavirus cases, while the northern hemisphere is facing a crucial moment in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

The warning from WHO on Friday came as the number of coronavirus cases more than doubled in 10 days across Europe, with several southern European countries reporting their highest daily case numbers this week.

 

Meanwhile, the United States recorded its highest single-day rise in infections – more than 70,000 – since July on Thursday amid concerns of a “third wave” of COVID-19 gripping the worst-affected country in the world. 

“We are at a critical juncture in the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference.

“The next few months are going to be very tough and some countries are on a dangerous track.”

The novel coronavirus has infected nearly 42 million people and killed at least 1.1 million since the outbreak emerged in China last December, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.

Following months-long lockdowns and border closures, countries have gradually eased restrictions and reopened businesses to salvage economies crippled by the pandemic.

The WHO has warned the co-circulation of the annual flu season in winter months and COVID-19 – both of which cause respiratory illness – could place an additional burden on vulnerable populations and healthcare systems that are already stretched because of the pandemic.