WHO warns countries with decreasing numbers of infections to remain “vigilant”

Countries where the number of cases of novel coronavirus infection is decreasing must remain “vigilant”, a World Health Organization (WHO) official warned Friday.

“Even as the number of cases decreases, all countries must remain vigilant. You’ve heard it before, but we really need to stress it again. Don’t let your guard down, ”said Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s Emergency Health Program Technical Manager, during a virtual briefing.

“It’s nice to see the measures take effect and the transmission decreases. But now is not the time to let your guard down. It’s also time to amplify it, ”he added. Infection cases worldwide have surpassed 61 million, with the death toll of 1.4 million, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University.

“What we don’t want to see are the situations where we go from a state of so-called confinement to control the virus to a state of so-called confinement,” Van Kerkhove said.