There are now more than one hundred eighteen thousand cases in 114 countries and 4291 people have lost their lives thousands more are fighting for their lives in hospitals in the days and weeks ahead we expect to see the number of cases the number of deaths and the number of affected countries climbed even higher whu-oh has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we’re deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction we have therefore made the assessment that kovat 19 can be characterized as a pandemic pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly.
It’s a word that if misused can cause unreasonable fear or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over leading to unnecessary suffering and death describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHS assessment of the threat posed by the virus it doesn’t change what WH er is doing and it doesn’t change what countries should we have never been before seen a pandemic spark it by coronavirus this is the first pandemic caused by corona virus and we have never before seen a pandemic that can be controlled at the same time wh-wha has been in full response mode since we were notified of the first cases and we have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action we have rang the alarm bell loud and clear.
As I said on Monday just looking at the number of cases and the number of countries affected does not tell the full story of the 118 cases reported globally in 114 countries more than 90 percent of cases are in just four countries and two of those China and the Republic of Korea have significantly declining epidemics 81 countries have not reported any cases and 57 countries have reported 10 cases or less we can note this we cannot say this loudly enough or clearly enough or often enough all countries can still change the course of this pandemic if countries detect tests treat isolate trace and mobilize their people in the response those with a handful of cases can prevent those cases becoming clusters and those clusters becoming community transmission.
Please Watch the Video Below to See WHO Annnoucement.