WHO says it advising Olympics on risk
Published: 23 Mar 2020 - 07:13 pm | Last Updated: 03 Nov 2021 - 05:46 pm
A thrown-away protective glove lays on the pavement in Berlin's Kreuzberg district on March 23, 2020, amidst the new coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. AFP / David Gannon
Geneva: The new coronavirus pandemic is clearly "accelerating", the World Health Organization warned Monday, but said it was still possible to "change the trajectory" of the outbreak.
"The pandemic is accelerating," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists in a virtual news briefing, saying "it took 67 days from the first reported case to reach the first 100,000 cases, 11 days for the second 100,000 cases and just four days for the third 100,000 cases."
But he said that "we are not helpless bystanders. We can change the trajectory of this pandemic."
Coronavirus pandemic "accelerating", WHO says it advising Olympics on risk
The WHO director-general, called for political commitment and said he would address the Group of 20 leaders this week and ask them to work together to boost production of vital protective gear for health care workers.
Dr. Mike Ryan, head of WHO's emergencies programme, asked about the Tokyo 2020 Games due to open on July 24, said he believed a decision would be made "very soon" regarding their future.
"We have every confidence the Japanese government and the IOC (International Olympic Committee) would not proceed with any Games if it would be dangerous to athletes and spectators," Ryan said.
