WHO concerned with uptick in cases as countries lift lockdowns
Published Jun 13, 2020 3:11:24 AM
(CNN) – Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Program, said they are “concerned that some countries are having difficulties in exiting the so-called lockdowns as they’re seeing increases of cases again.”
“First and foremost, most of the world right now is still very much in the throes of the first wave of this pandemic,” Ryan said during a briefing Friday, adding though that many countries have been able to flatten the curve and are slowly making their way out of lockdowns.
“We have to find the balance of controlling this virus against the damage economically and socially of controlling this virus: This is a difficult dilemma, ” he said.
“There must be an alternative to lockdown because in the absence of lockdown, the virus will tend to spread again. So the question is, what have you got to replace lockdown with?” Ryan asked.
He pointed countries towards a strong public health system, testing and tracking cases, and educating the population to help as lockdowns are lifted.
“It’s very easy for me to sit here and say that that is difficult to achieve in any circumstance,” he said. “But it is the only way to sustain the next number of months while we wait for other interventions. And again we have to say that we really hope we have an effective vaccine in time, but there are no guarantees.”
“We have to learn to live with the virus,” Ryan said.
