Lockdown not enough to eradicate coronavirus, use this time to 'find, isolate, test, 'trace, treat': WHO
'Asking people to stay at home and shutting down population movement is buying time and reducing the pressure on health systems,' WHO chief said.
Published: 26th March 2020 11:15 AM | Last Updated: 26th March 2020 11:20 AM | A+A A-
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. (File photo|AFP)
GENEVA: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO on Wednesday said that a lockdown, which is being implemented by several countries to combat COVID-19, will not be enough to eradicate the coronavirus pandemic from the world.
"To slow the spread of #COVID19, many countries introduced "lockdown" measures. But on their own, these measures will not extinguish epidemics. We call on all countries to use this time to attack the #coronavirus. You have created a 2nd window of opportunity," Director-General of WHO said in a daily briefing.
"Asking people to stay at home and shutting down population movement is buying time & reducing the pressure on health systems. But on their own, these measures will not extinguish epidemics," he added.
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He further said: "We call on all countries who have introduced so-called lockdown measures, to use this time to attack the virus. You have created a 2nd window of opportunity, the question is how will you use it?"
While reinforcing the measures of testing and treating, Tedros said: "Aggressive measures to find, isolate, test, treat and trace is not only the best and fastest way out of extreme social and economic restrictions, but they're also the best way to prevent them."
The number of people infected with the novel coronavirus worldwide has exceeded 4,14,179 over 18,440 have died, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its daily coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation report.
