The World Health Organisation (WHO) says more than 132,000 cases of Covid-19 have now been reported to WHO, from 123 countries and territories.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said this at a media briefing on Friday in Geneva.
The D-G said 5,000 deaths have been recorded worldwide.
“Europe has now become the epicenter of the pandemic, with more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China”.
He disclosed that more cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of the Covid-19 epidemic.
The coronavirus broke out in Wuhan, China.
“We are encouraged that many countries are now acting on the eight pillars of WHO’s Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan.
“Most countries now have a national plan; most are taking a multi-sectoral approach and most have laboratory testing capacity”, the WHO chief added.
Ghebreyesus said the world body continues to support countries to prepare and respond.
“We have shipped supplies of personal protective/equipment to 56 countries, we are shipping to a further 28 countries, and we have sent almost 1.5 million diagnostic tests to 120 countries.
“Our message to countries continues to be: you must take a comprehensive approach. Not testing alone. Not contact tracing alone. Not quarantine alone. Not social distancing alone. Do it all.
“Any country that looks at the experience of other countries with large epidemics and thinks “that won’t happen to us” is making a deadly mistake. It can happen to any country,’’ he said.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK