Tedros Says 1Mln COVID Deaths 'Difficult Moment,' But Notes Glimmers Of Hope

Faizan Hashmi Published September 29, 2020 | 10:23 PM

Passing a milestone of 1 million deaths from COVID-19 globally is a grim milestone for humanity, but countries can still turn the tide by suppressing transmission and reducing deaths through available means, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th September, 2020) Passing a milestone of 1 million deaths from COVID-19 globally is a grim milestone for humanity, but countries can still turn the tide by suppressing transmission and reducing deaths through available means, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday.

"One million people have now been lost to COVID-19 and many more are suffering because of the pandemic. This milestone is a difficult moment for the world but there are glimmers of hope that encourage us now and in the near future," Tedros said in a statement released by the UN health agency.

The WHO chief said Thailand, Italy, Uruguay and Pakistan among other counties had managed to suppress transmission of the deadly virus through various public health measures.

"[N]o matter where a country is in an outbreak, it is never too late to turn things around," Tedros said.

He went on to say that countries and societies need to take four steps to contain outbreaks, namely avoiding events that could amplify transmission, protecting vulnerable groups of population to reduce deaths, adhering to public health measures such as physical distancing and mask wearing, as well as testing and contact tracing.

"While today's milestone gives us pause for reflection, this is a moment for us all to come together, in solidarity, to fight back against this virus. History will judge us on the decisions we do and don't make in the months ahead. Let's seize the opportunity and bridge national boundaries to save lives and livelihoods," Tedros underlined.

According to Johns Hopkins University, the number of COVID-19 deaths worldwide has topped 1 million, with over 33 million confirmed cases and more than 23 million recoveries.