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Hans Kluge, head of the WHO’s European department, said the rise in coronavirus cases in September “should be a wake-up call for all of us.”
“While these figures reflect an increase in testing, they also show worrying infection rates across the region,” he told reporters during an online press conference in the Danish capital Copenhagen.
The WHO also said it would not change its recommendation to isolate all those who had been in contact with the new coronavirus-infected person for 14 days.
“Our 14-day quarantine recommendations are based on our knowledge of the incubation and transmission period of the disease. We will only change them as our understanding of science changes, “said Catherine Smallwood, a senior official in the WHO European Division.
In France, for example, the recommended isolation period has been reduced to seven days.
In the UK and Ireland, it is 10 days, and several other European countries, including Portugal and Croatia, are also considering shortening it.
“Knowing the enormous individual and social impact that even the slightest shortening of the quarantine period can have … I urge the countries of the region to conduct research with their experts and explore the possibilities of safe shortening,” Kluge said. He added that “the concept of quarantine must be protected” and “constantly applied”.
According to the WHO, almost 5 million people have been registered in 53 countries in the region. COVID-19 cases and more than 227 thousand. related deaths.
Currently, 40 thousand are registered in the region every day. up to 50 thousand. new cases of COVID-19, with significant increases in testing in many countries. During the peak of the coronavirus outbreak in April, a maximum of 43,000 cases were recorded per day. cases of infection.
On September 11, a new record was recorded: 54 thousand were recorded per day. coronavirus cases.
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