The chief of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday that the novel coronavirus has got a foothold in so many countries and the threat of a pandemic has become very real.
His words came as Cyprus confirmed its first two COVID-19 cases, which means all European Union (EU) members have reported infection cases. European countries have begun to upgrade their containment measures.
In Italy, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on Monday evening that measures to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus will be extended to the entire country in the next hours.
COVID-19 is an uneven epidemic at the global level, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a daily briefing, reminding that different countries are in different scenarios, requiring a tailored response.
It would be the first pandemic in history that could be controlled, the WHO head also noted.
He called on all countries to take a comprehensive blended strategy for controlling their epidemics and pushing this virus back.
Tedros also said of the around 80,000 reported cases of COVID-19 in China, more than 70 per cent have recovered and been discharged.
Among the countries with the most cases, China is bringing its epidemic under control.
He stressed that the transmission of coronavirus can be slowed down and infections can be prevented through decisive and early actions.
“Countries that continue finding and testing cases and tracing their contacts not only protect their own people, they can also affect what happens in other countries and globally,” said Tedros.
The Italian authorities said Monday the number of people who tested positive for the new coronavirus reached 7,985, an increase of 1,598 new infections compared to the previous day, and did not include recoveries or fatalities.
Considering all data (including deaths and recoveries), the number of assessed coronavirus cases in the country was 9,172. Also on Monday, Germany confirmed the first two deaths from COVID-19, both in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), German local media Focus reported. According to official data, the number of confirmed cases in Germany rose to 1,112 by Monday morning, 484 of which are in NRW.
In France, 1,412 cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed and 25 patients have died, Director-General of Health Jerome Salomon announced on Monday evening. Both Spain and Denmark eyewitnessed rapid growth in confirmed cases on Monday. -Xinhua