WHO chief says 'no return to old normal' as COVID-19 cases top 15 million

As coronavirus cases crossed another grim milestone on July 24, the World Health Organization warned that there won’t be any return to the ‘old normal’. The number of infected people rose past 15 million with nearly 10 million being recorded in only ten countries. According to John Hopkins University tally, United States, Brazil and India alone account for half of the global cases with India recording over 40,000 new cases every day.

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Speaking virtually from Geneva, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that it was understandable that people wanted to get on with their lives. However, he pointed out that the world would never go back to the old normal. Speaking further he said that pandemic had already changed how people lived adding that “part of adjusting to the new normal was finding ways to live safely”.

'Life-death decisions'

In addendum, the 55-year-old leader warned that though many countries have successfully curbed the spread of coronavirus, people should not let down their guards. Calling them “life-death decisions”, Ghebreyesus said that whether people step out or others might not affect them but to their friends and family.   

“We’re asking everyone to treat the decisions about where they go, what they do, and who they meet with, as life-and-death decisions – because they are. It may not be your life, but your choices could be the difference between life and death for someone you love, or for a complete stranger,” he said.

He also said that youth could lead the movement for health adding that anybody regardless of their age or where they live could help lead the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. “Now we need young people to start a global movement for health – for a world in which health is a human right, not a privilege”, he added.

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