COVID-19: WHO Supports Reopening Of Economies & Societies, But With A Rider

Geneva: World Health Organisation (WHO) has said it supports efforts to reopen economies and societies amidst the coronavirus pandemic, but doing so without any control is “a recipe for disaster”.

“We want to see children returning to school and people returning to the workplace, but we want to see it done safely,” WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom said on Monday.

“At the same time, no country can just pretend that the pandemic is over. The reality is that this coronavirus spreads easily, it can be fatal to people of all ages and most people remain susceptible. If countries are serious about opening up, they must be serious about suppressing transmission and saving lives,” he added.

The WHO chief acknowledged the fact that global challenges on the fiscal front is causing the world to walk extra miles in preparation before reopening activities and bring back the economy to normal.

“Eight months into the pandemic, we understand that people are tired and yearn to get on with their lives. We understand that countries want to get their societies and economies going again. That’s what WHO wants too. Stay-at-home orders and other restrictions are something that some countries felt they needed to do to take pressure off their health systems. But they have taken a heavy toll on livelihoods, economies and mental health,” he said.

Tedros advised that countries can open up but only with balance if cases are under control. “This may seem like an impossible balance, but it’s not. It can be done and it has been done. But it can only be done if countries are in control of the transmission. The more control countries have over the virus, the more they can open up,” he added.

However, he warned that opening up without having control is a recipe for disaster.