As the number of Covid-19 cases triples, WHO calls on Europe to take immediate action / Article

“My message to governments and health authorities is to act now to prepare for the coming months,” said a WHO official.

“Right now in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is winter, there is a very active flu season, which, along with Covid-19, continues to put pressure on health systems.”

“We are likely to see a similar scenario in the Northern Hemisphere come autumn and winter. If health authorities act now, they can mitigate the challenges ahead in society, including health worker shortages, overburdened health systems, business difficulties and travel chaos.”

Three million new cases of Covid-19 were reported last week, but the number of sick people who ended up in intensive care units is relatively low, Kluge said.

As people return from summer vacations, schools resume work, and with cooler weather people start socializing indoors, the number of new cases of infection may increase, Klüge outlined his concerns.

To prepare, countries should activate vaccination campaigns, support mask wearing, strengthen laboratory capacity, prioritize contact tracing, and strengthen infection control measures in all healthcare facilities.

“Just because the requirement to wear masks is not mandatory does not mean that they are prohibited,” Kluge pointed out.

The WHO European region covers the territories from Greenland to the Pacific coast of Russia and includes the countries of Central Asia, as well as Turkey and Ukraine.

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