Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO) today issued a start warning that many countries were failing to rein in the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ethiopian-born Tedros who has been at the helm of the WHO since 2017 said the outlook for the virus does not look good in many parts of the world.
“Let me blunt, too many countries are headed in the wrong direction. The virus remains public enemy number one, but the actions of many governments and people do not reflect this,” Tedros said in opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19.
“If populations do not follow the basic public health principles of physical distancing, hand washing, wearing masks, coughing etiquette and staying at home when sick; If the basics aren’t followed, there is only one way this pandemic is going to go. It’s going to get worse and worse and worse,” warned Tedros.
His remarks come a day after President Cyril Ramaphosa pleaded wit South Africans to follow guidelines put in place to curb the spread of the virus which has already more than 4 000 lives in the country.
Ramaphosa emphasized the message in his weekly letter to the nation. “Even as most of our people have taken action to prevent the spread of the virus, there are others who have not. There are some among us who ignore the regulations that have been passed to combat the disease,” Ramaphosa wrote.
“In the midst of such a pandemic, getting into a taxi without a face mask, gathering to meet friends, attending parties or even visiting family, can too easily spread the virus and cost lives.This may be a disease that is caused by a virus, but it is spread by human conduct and behaviour.”
