The coronavirus epidemic is “far from over” in the Asia-Pacific region. “We need every country to keep preparing for large-scale coronavirus community transmission. This is going to be a long-term battle and we cannot let down our guard,” warned World Health Organization.
‘Far from over’
According to WHO official, the coronavirus epidemic is “far from over” in the Asia-Pacific region, and current measures to control the spread of the virus are buying time for countries to prepare for large-scale community transmissions.
Even though strict measures are implemented, the risk of transmission in the region will not go away as long as the pandemic continues, said Takeshi Kasai, Regional Director for the Western Pacific at the World Health Organization (WHO).
The novel coronavirus first appeared in Wuhan China in late 2019. It has now surpassed 770,000 cases worldwide, with the United States, Italy, and Spain overtaking China in affirmed cases.
“Let me be clear. The epidemic is far from over in Asia and the Pacific. This is going to be a long-term battle and we cannot let down our guard,” Kasai told a virtual media briefing.
Each country should not let down their guard
According to a report, countries with limited resources face a lot of problems, such as Pacific Island nations, as they have to send samples to other countries for investigations, and transportation restrictions are making that even more difficult.
Kasai further advised that for countries that are seeing a decrease in the cases, they should not let down their guard, or the virus may come rising back.
The WHO does not assume any country to be safe, as the coronavirus will ultimately get everywhere, said WHO technical adviser Matthew Griffith.
“Whereas countries and areas in this region have shown how to flatten the curve, outbreaks continue to pop up in new places and importation remains a concern,” Griffith said at the briefing, citing cases in Singapore and South Korea from people who traveled abroad.
The focus of the epidemic is now on Europe, but that will likely shift to other regions, Griffith said.
