World in ‘new and dangerous phase’ of pandemic: WHO

GENEVA, June 19, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – The new coronavirus pandemic is
now in a “new and dangerous phase”, the World Health Organization said
Friday, with the disease accelerating at the same time as people tire
of lockdowns.

WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged nations and citizens to
remain extremely vigilant as the number of cases reported to the UN
health agency hit a new peak.

“The pandemic is accelerating. More than 150,000 new cases of
COVID-19 were reported to WHO yesterday — the most in a single day so
far,” Tedros told a virtual press conference.

He said almost half of those cases were reported from the Americas,
with large numbers also being reported from South Asia and the Middle
East.

“The world is in a new and dangerous phase. Many people are
understandably fed up with being at home. Countries are understandably
eager to open up their societies and economies,” he said.

“But the virus is still spreading fast, it’s still deadly and most
people are still susceptible.”

The novel coronavirus has killed at least 454,000 people and
infected more than 8.5 million since the outbreak began in China last
December, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP.