Coronavirus live: new cases double in Belgium, continue to rise in France and Poland

August 1, 2020
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The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Saturday the coronavirus pandemic was likely to be “lengthy” after its emergency committee met to evaluate the crisis six months after sounding the international alarm.

The committee “highlighted the anticipated lengthy duration of this Covid-19 pandemic”, the WHO said in a statement, and warned of the risk of “response fatigue” given the socio-economic pressures on countries.

People enjoy the first weekend of August on Mondello beach in Palermo, Italy on 1 August 2020.


People enjoy the first weekend of August on Mondello beach in Palermo, Italy on 1 August 2020. Photograph: Alessandro Fucarini/Rex/Shutterstock

The panel gathered on Friday for the fourth time since the coronavirus crisis began, half a year on from its 30 January declaration of a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) – the WHO’s highest level of alarm.

“WHO continues to assess the global risk level of Covid-19 to be very high,” said its latest statement.

“The committee highlighted the anticipated lengthy duration of this Covid-19 pandemic, noting the importance of sustained community, national, regional, and global response efforts.”

The coronavirus has killed at least 680,000 people and infected at least 17.6 million since the outbreak emerged in China last December, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP.

Mourners stand at the gravesite of a family member who died as a result of Covid-19 in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 24 July 2020.


Mourners stand at the gravesite of a family member who died as a result of Covid-19 in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 24 July 2020. Photograph: Kim Ludbrook/EPA

Countries around the world have imposed strict lockdowns in a bid to control the spread of the respiratory disease, plunging economies into sharp contraction.

The committee urged the WHO to provide nuanced, pragmatic guidance on Covid-19 reactions “to reduce the risk of response fatigue in the context of socio-economic pressures”.

The panel urged the WHO to support countries in preparing for the rollout of proven therapeutics and vaccines.

The committee also urged the agency to accelerate research into the remaining “critical unknowns” of the virus, such as the animal source and potential animal reservoirs.

It called for improved understanding of the epidemiology and severity of Covid-19, including its long-term health effects.

A couple walks in El Calvario neighbourhood in Cali, Colombia, on 31 July, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic. A quarter of Colombia’s urban workers are unemployed following an almost 11% increase in joblessness compared to last year, the national statistics department said on 30 July. Despite the ravaged economy, President Ivan Duque has extended virus lockdown measures until 30 August.


A couple walks in El Calvario neighbourhood in Cali, Colombia, on 31 July, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic. A quarter of Colombia’s urban workers are unemployed following an almost 11% increase in joblessness compared to last year, the national statistics department said on 30 July. Despite the ravaged economy, President Ivan Duque has extended virus lockdown measures until 30 August. Photograph: Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images

The near six-hour gathering was hosted at the WHO’s headquarters in Geneva, with some participants joining via video link.

The committee will reconvene in three months’ time.

Going into the meeting, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the pandemic’s effects would be long-lasting.

“It’s sobering to think that six months ago, when you recommended I declare a PHEIC, there were less than 100 cases and no deaths outside China,” he said on Friday.

“The pandemic is a once-in-a-century health crisis, the effects of which will be felt for decades to come.”

Covid-19