Ending lockdown too quickly could cause ‘deadly coronavirus resurgence’, says WHO

Ending lockdown too early could cause a renewed coronavirus threat, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General has said. Speaking at a virtual press conference, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that ‘lifting restrictions could lead to a deadly resurgence’ in COVID-19 across the globe. He said: ‘I know that some countries are already planning the transition out of stay-at-home restrictions.

WHO wants to see restrictions lifted as much as anyone. ‘At the same time, lifting restrictions too quickly could lead to a deadly resurgence.

The way down can be as dangerous as the way up if not managed properly.’ Dr Tedros then went on to say there had been a ‘welcome slowing’ of the pandemic in some European countries, such as Spain, Italy and France but said there had been an ‘alarming acceleration’ elsewhere in the world, including 16 countries in Africa.

There are believed to be more than 130,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Africa, with only two countries not reporting cases of the virus.