This archive report was first published on 23 June 2020.
As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the situation is worsening. According to the WHO, global coronavirus infections have topped nine million, with the number of deaths exceeding 465,000.
On Monday, the WHO's Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told a virtual health forum in Dubai that the pandemic is still accelerating. He emphasized that the greatest threat facing the world is not the virus itself, but the lack of global solidarity and leadership.
"The pandemic is still accelerating," Tedros said. "We cannot defeat this pandemic with a divided world. The politicisation of the pandemic has exacerbated it."
Despite the WHO's warning, some countries are easing their lockdown restrictions. In France, millions of children returned to school on Monday, marking a significant step towards normalcy. However, the move has been met with criticism, with some arguing that it is too soon to lift restrictions.
"This is not what a gradual end to the lockdown looks like," said Dr Gilbert Deray. "I understand that the Festival of Music is something of a liberation, but did we really have to have it this year?"
Meanwhile, in Brazil, the number of deaths has surpassed 50,000, with the country's President, Jair Bolsonaro, playing down the threat of the virus. Bolsonaro has repeatedly compared the virus to a "little flu" and argued that the economic impact of shutdowns is worse than the virus itself.
As the pandemic continues to spread, the WHO has called for a rapid increase in the production of the steroid dexamethasone, which has been shown to have life-saving potential for critically ill patients.
Published on June 23, 2020, at 08:24:05 UTC.
