A TV grab taken from a video released by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attending a virtual news briefing on COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) from the WHO headquarters in Geneva on April 6, 2020.
AFP | Getty Images
The World Health Organization said on Monday that most people across the globe are still at risk of coronavirus infection and the biggest threat to further spread is complacency as mass gatherings resume in countries worldwide.
The coronavirus pandemic is worsening across the globe as the number of new Covid-19 cases on Sunday reached an all-time high, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference at the agency’s Geneva headquarters.
He said that almost 75% of the cases come from 10 countries mostly in Americas and South Asia.
“I would say right now the epidemic in Central and South America is the most complex of all of the situations we’ve faced globally,” said Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s emergencies program.
While WHO is “encouraged” that some countries are beginning to see signs of improvement, research shows that most people are still susceptible to contracting Covid-19, Tedros said.
“In these countries, the biggest threat now is complacency,” he said. “We continue to urge active surveillance to ensure the virus does not rebound, especially as mass gatherings of all kinds are starting to resume in some countries.”
This is a developing story. Please check back later for updates.