Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, attends a press conference on June 25 in Geneva.
AP
GENEVA – The head of the World Health Organization on Monday criticized some government leaders for eroding public confidence by sending contradictory messages about the coronavirus and warned that if they fail to stop spiraling outbreaks in their countries it means that there will not be a return to normality “in the foreseeable future.”
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus did not call specific politicians to criticize them, but said “many countries are headed in the wrong direction” with the pandemic and some were not taking adequate measures to curb infections.
At the same time, Tedros recognized how difficult it was for governments to respond effectively, given the economic, social, and cultural consequences of imposing restrictions.
“The virus remains the number 1 public enemy, but the actions of many governments and people do not reflect this,” he said.
The director-general’s comments to journalists in Geneva came a day after WHO reported another world record of more than 230,000 confirmed cases in 24 hours. Ten countries accounted for 80% of the daily count reported on Sunday, and more than half of the new confirmed cases come from the United States and Brazil alone.
The UN health agency said government and individual responses should depend on local conditions, that is, whether there is widespread spread of the virus in the community.
Take schools: Many countries have reopened classrooms as their daily cases decline, but some nations are playing “political football” by calling for schools to be reopened without more extensive control measures, such as keeping stores closed. or limit public meetings, the WHO said.
“The mixed messages from the leaders are undermining the most critical ingredient of any response: trust,” Tedros said Monday, adding that governments must communicate clearer public health messages and that people must maintain social distancing, the wearing masks, washing hands, and staying home when you have symptoms of COVID-19.
As the UK emerges from a national blockade, government leaders have been punished in recent days for giving inconsistent statements about the merits of wearing face masks in public places, among other topics.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday that people “should” wear masks in stores. But the day before, one of his top cabinet ministers said during a television appearance that face covers should not be mandatory.
Without applying basic outbreak control methods, “there is only one way this pandemic is going to go,” said WHO chief Tedros.
“It is going to get worse and worse and worse,” he said, continuing with a forceful warning. “There will be no return to old normalcy for the foreseeable future.”
Still, the WHO signaled a sign of hope in countries that had experienced massive outbreaks and death tolls and managed to control the virus.
Leaders in countries like the United States, Brazil, and India that still face major outbreaks have rejected or downplayed the advice or recommendations of scientific experts, government advisers, and their political allies to take tougher measures.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has frequently questioned the usefulness of the blocking measures and largely rejected the masks.
Amid a debate in places like the United States about whether schools can reopen, the WHO chief of emergencies said any such decision requires a broader perspective that takes into account how workplaces or centers also work. long-term care.
“We cannot turn schools into yet another political football in this game. It is not fair to our children, ”Ryan said. “We have to make decisions that are based on the best interests of our children, be it their educational or health interests.”
President Donald Trump has lobbied America’s school districts to reopen this fall, threatening to cut funds for those who don’t comply.
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