‘Epicenter’ of COVID-19 pandemic now in Europe — WHO chief

Speaking in a media briefing on Friday, Ghebreyesus noted that Europe has “more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China.” (Photo: @WHO/Twitter)

World Health Organization (WHO) chief, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced that Europe is now the “epicenter” of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking in a media briefing on Friday, Ghebreyesus noted that Europe has “more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China.”

“More cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic,” he stressed.

Since the COVID-19 virus was first discovered last year in Wuhan, China, the WHO said the global death toll has reached 5,000, with more than 132,000 cases reported in 123 countries and territories.

Ghebreyesus encouraged countries to take a “comprehensive approach” to fight the spread of the virus.

“Not testing alone. Not contact tracing alone. Not quarantine alone. Not social distancing alone. Do it all,” he said.

“Any country that looks at the experience of other countries with large epidemics and thinks ‘that won’t happen to us’ is making a deadly mistake. It can happen to any country,” he added.

The WHO, meanwhile, launched the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, together with the United Nations Foundation and the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation.

Ghebreyesus said funds will be used to buy masks, gloves, gowns, and goggles for health workers.

It will also be allotted for the purchase of diagnostic kits, improvement surveillance, and investment in research and development.

“Every dollar donated is a dollar toward saving lives. We are all in this together,” he said.

The WHO earlier characterized the outbreak of the new coronavirus as a pandemic, expressing deep concern on the “alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction.”

“We have never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus. This is the first pandemic caused by a coronavirus,” the WHO chief said, continuing, “And we have never before seen a pandemic that can be controlled, at the same time.”

Countries from all over the world were forced to impose travel restrictions, postpone many sporting and entertainment events, and cancel classes in schools to contain the spread of the virus.