WHO warns against blindly lifting COVID lockdown, lists 6 criteria for easing restrictions

As world economies are reopening after days of lockdown, the Word Health Organisation (WHO) has listed six criteria that should be followed before easing the restrictions. Addressing the media on May 11, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that every country should be implementing a comprehensive set of measures to slow down transmission and save lives while every government should asses their capabilities to contain the virus. 

Here are the six criteria that the WHO listed: 

1. Control of trasmission 

2. Health system capacity in place to detect, isolate every case and trace every contact

3. Minimise outbreak risks in special settings like health facilities and nursing homes

4. Preventive measures in places like schools

5. Managing importation risks 

6. Engaging and empowering communities so that they adjust to the 'new norm'

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The World Health Organisation also advised decision makers to reflect on a number of key factors when deciding on whether and how to reopen schools. Along with UNICEF, it has provided a detailed guidelines on health measures that must be taken. It also issued detailed new workplace guidelines, which recommend all places of work carry out a risk assessment for workers' potential exposure to COVID19. The document also covers the implementation of measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

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Lockdown restrictions worldwide

So far, France and Belgium emerged from lockdowns, the Netherlands have sent children back to school, and a number of US states continued to lift their business restrictions. Even as restrictions loosened up, Germany reported new clusters.

India, meanwhile, decided to resume train services in a phased manner as country's Covid tally reached  67,152. While it has been improving its recovery rate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that reduction of transmission rate and gradual increase in public activities while adhering to all guidelines are the "twofold" challenges and now the Centre and states will have to work towards achieving the twin objectives.

Fresh cases were also reported in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the crisis started and in South Korea, after which its government clamped down again, halting school reopenings planned for this week and reimposing restrictions on nightclubs and bars. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a modest easing of the country's lockdown but urged citizens not to squander the progress made. Roughly half of Spain's 47 million people shifted into looser restrictions, beginning to socialize, shop in small stores and sit outdoors at restaurants. Its biggest cities, Madrid and Barcelona, remained under lockdown. In South Africa, authorities in Cape Town and the surrounding province considered reimposing restrictions because the area has become a hotspot accounting for about half the country's 200 virus deaths.

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