This archive report was first published on 22 June 2020.
As Europe eases lockdown restrictions, the World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded a warning that the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating, with global cases topping nine million and deaths nearing half a million.
The WHO's director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told a virtual health forum in the United Arab Emirates that the pandemic is 'much more than a health crisis, it is an economic crisis, a social crisis and in many countries a political crisis.'
He warned that the greatest threat facing the world is not the virus itself, but 'the lack of global solidarity and global leadership.'
With a vaccine still far from being developed, the WHO has called for a rapid increase in production of the steroid dexamethasone, which has been shown to have life-saving potential for critically ill patients.
Meanwhile, in Europe, countries are easing their lockdown restrictions, with thousands of people dancing and partying in the streets of Paris for an annual music festival.
However, the festival has been criticized for being too lax, with some warning that it could lead to a surge in cases.
Elsewhere, Portugal's Prime Minister, Antonio Costa, has reimposed restrictions on gatherings of more than 10 people in the capital region, and cafes and shops have been ordered to close at 8:00 pm.
And in Australia, the city of Melbourne has tightened restrictions over fears of an upsurge in cases, with leaders of other regions warning against visiting the city's six designated virus 'hot spots.'
