The World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries on Monday to press on with efforts to contain the novel coronavirus, noting the pandemic was worsening globally and had not peaked in central America.
More than 136,000 cases were reported worldwide on Sunday, “the most in a single day so far”, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
He told an online briefing: “More than six months into the pandemic, this is not the time for any country to take its foot off the pedal.”
In response to a question on China, WHO’s top emergencies expert, Dr Mike Ryan, said retrospective studies of how the outbreak has been addressed could wait, adding: “We need to focus now on what we are doing today to prevent second peaks.”
Dr Ryan also said infections in central American countries including Guatemala were still on the rise, and that they were “complex” epidemics.
“I think this is a time of great concern,” he said, calling for strong government leadership and international support for the region.
