The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Monday that people can’t “pretend the pandemic is over” as countries lift restrictions put in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that countries should not reopen economies if they don’t have control over the virus.
“The more control countries have over the virus, the more they can open up. Opening up without having control is a recipe for disaster,” he said during a virtual briefing. “No country can just pretend the pandemic is over.”
He also said countries should prevent deaths by protecting vulnerable people, including older people, people with underlying conditions and essential workers, which he said helps alleviate burden on health systems and saves lives.
