COVID-19 will get worse if governments fail to take action: WHO

GENEVA: World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the coronavirus pandemic will get worse and worse if governments fail to take more decisive action.

Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that too many countries headed in the wrong direction. The number of coronavirus infections around the world hit 13 million, climbing by a million in just five days.

The COVID-19 pandemic has now killed more than half a million people in six-and-a-half months. The WHO chief said that there would be no return to the old normal for the foreseeable future, especially if preventive measures were neglected.

Read more: Global coronavirus cases rise by one million in five days: WHO

“Let me be blunt, too many countries are headed in the wrong direction, the virus remains public enemy number one,” he said. “If basics are not followed, the only way this pandemic is going to go, it is going to get worse and worse and worse. But it does not have to be this way,” he further added.

The number of coronavirus infection cases across the world has surged to 13,238,121 and the pandemic has so far claimed over 575,545 lives. According to the latest data, 7,698,371 patients have recovered from the pandemic so far.

The United States tops with nearly 3,479,483 cases and more than 138,247 deaths followed by Brazil with over 1,887,959 cases and more than 72,921 deaths.