WHO in close monitoring of Covid-19

I want to start by saying that WHO has been following closely the situation with Typhoon Goni in the Philippines.

This is the strongest storm of 2020 and WHO will work with the government to ensure emergency medical care is reaching those that need it.

Our thoughts are with all those affected.

I have been identified as a contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

I am well and without symptoms but will self quarantine in the coming days, in line with WHO protocols.

At this time, it is critically important that we all comply with health guidance.

This is how we will break chains of transmission, suppress the virus, and protect health systems.

Over the weekend we saw that while many countries have brought COVID-19 under control, cases in some countries in Europe and North America continue to spike.

This is another critical moment for action.

Another critical moment for leaders to step up.

And another critical moment for people to come together for a common purpose.

Seize the opportunity, it’s not too late.

We all have a role to play in suppressing transmission and we have seen across the world that it’s possible.

We have released videos featuring multiple countries demonstrating their comprehensive responses to COVID-19.

This includes New Zealand, Rwanda, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, Italy and Spain.

And today, a new video was released that highlighted Mongolia’s success in responding to COVID-19.

Mongolia has so far had no deaths or local transmission.

And what Mongolia and all these stories show is that there are shared lessons that we can all learn from.

And we all have a role to play in suppressing transmission.

In some countries, we’re seeing cases go up exponentially and hospitals reach capacity, which poses a risk to patients and health workers alike.

This is leaving health workers with difficult decisions to make on how to prioritise care for those that are sick.