WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic

Geneva: WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on March 11, 2020 that the new coronavirus outbreak can now be characterized as a pandemic

Worldwide News: On March 11, after 118,000 confirmed cases and more than 4,291 death from the coronavirus over 110 countries and territories worldwide and the growing risk of further global spread, The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic at a press conference in Geneva today.

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledged that around 90 per cent of cases were in just four countries and China and South Korea had seen “significantly declining” numbers of cases.

“We cannot let fear go viral, as we fight the virus. We can still change the course of this pandemic together– but that means addressing inaction. The message of science to go a long way to mitigating transmission, acknowledges us that the countries should detect, test, treat, isolate, trace and mobilize their people in the response to bring world safe from the outbreak of COVID-19.”

He further called on every government to strengthen their efforts in the fight against the virus and make their people safe from the pandemic, saying that “as we mourn all those who have lost their lives and the many families who are suffering, we must show solidarity with the most vulnerable – the elderly, the sick, those without reliable healthcare, and those on the edge of poverty.”

He emphasized that 81 countries so far have not been reported affected any they should do make their best efforts to avoid importation of cases.