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SINGAPORE – While the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 is still circulating somewhere in the world, all countries and all people remain at risk.
Giving the warning on Thursday (May 14), Dr. Takeshi Kasai, regional director of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Western Pacific, said that countries seeking to ease the blockade measures should remain vigilant.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum-WHO virtual joint meeting on the Covid-19 response in the Asia-Pacific, Dr. Kasai said that he understands that everyone is eager to move forward, but that the process of easing the restrictions does not It must be rushed.
“Loosening the restrictions too quickly would cause a resurgence of disease,” he said. “It should be done in phases based on scientific evidence and data on the local context in each country.”
He warned several times during the hour-long forum: “As long as the virus is circulating in this interconnected world, and until we have safe and effective vaccines available, everyone will be at risk.”
What countries and people have to do is “find a way to live with this virus for now. And this is what we call the new normal.”
With the exception of Hubei in China, this region has been spared the widespread community outreach of Covid-19. But the risk remains and the world body is “encouraging all countries to prepare for a large-scale community outbreak,” he said.
When restrictions are eased, the key to controlling the virus is to ensure a well-functioning system for detecting and isolating cases, and to track and quarantine your contacts.
Countries should also closely monitor the use of medical care in the country, such as intensive care units.
Dr. Kasai said the WHO is working with countries “on how to safely provide measures in a way that protects public health, prevents further waves of infections and allows society to regain some degree of normality.”
And people have an important role to play in this. They need to maintain healthy practices that protect not only themselves, but also their families, friends, colleagues, and communities.
That, he said, is “the foundation of our resilience.”
“We are in this together and we can only get out of this together.”
In response to a journalist’s question about whether a vaccine, when available, would be equitably distributed, Dr. Kasai said the vaccines belong to everyone worldwide.
“This is not something that the country that produces reserves (for its own use). It should be distributed equally,” he said.
This will be possible with the pledge of $ 8 billion (S $ 11.34 billion) from more than 50 countries earlier this month to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ms. Tan Hooi Ling, co-founder of food transport and delivery company Grab, and one of the four speakers at the forum, said that her company is looking at the logistics of delivery and “how to get vaccines to everyone.”
She said: “What is really important is to partner with governments to determine who should have those vaccines. For that, the data is key.”
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