Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization, says this Thursday marks six months since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern.

He says it is the sixth time, a global health emergency has been declared under the international health regulations but it is easily the most severe. Dr. Ghebreyesus says almost 16 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported to the WHO and more than 640-thousand deaths. The Director General also says in the last six weeks the total number of cases has roughly doubled. He also noted that health is not

The World Health Organization’s Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove says if the COVID-19 virus finds an opportunity, it will transmit to other people and clusters of cases will emerge.

She says the good news is that if countries and the population apply the information they have been armed with, they will make headway against COVID-19 but there is no one solution to bringing the COVID-19 outbreaks under control.

“It’s a comprehensive package that needs to be implemented. It starts with finding cases, caring for cases and isolating them, so they don’t pass the virus to another person.”

In addition to comprehensive contact tracing there has to be consistent implementation of public health measures such as hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, mask-wearing, informing the public and stay home measures.

Canada received a special mention by the W-H-O Director General at the Monday World Health Organization briefing. Canada was one of four countries named as following recommendations and then doing well in bringing a large outbreak under control.