Nightclubs and places of worship are some of the places that have been linked to COVID-19 outbreaks around the world, according to the World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom.
Speaking on Monday at the Regional Committee of the WHO European Region, Tedros warned countries against embarking of reopening their economies before putting the necessary health measures in place to avoid a resurgence of infections.
He outlined some measures that countries ought to take before reopening their economies and borders safely.
“First, prevent amplifying events,” said Tedros. “All around the world, explosive outbreaks have been linked to gatherings at stadiums, nightclubs, places of worship and other crowds.”
Earlier this year, many countries around the world banned public gatherings following their COVID-19 outbreaks, including places of worship, nightclubs, weddings and funerals. Some countries later eased the restrictions as they sought to strike a balance between health safety and economic survival.
In his address on Monday, Tedros also called upon countries to protect the vulnerable, educate communities on the pandemic and also continue observing health guidelines laid out to curb the spread of the virus.
“Persist with the public health basics: find, isolate, test and care for cases, and trace and quarantine their contacts,” he said.
The WHO chief urged countries to take lessons from the current pandemic to ensure they are better prepared to tackle any future health crises.
“We have a shared responsibility to our children and our children’s children to leave the world better prepared for the next pandemic,” he said.
