With COVID-19 cases rising steeply, WHO on Friday urged countries in South-East Asia Region to apply all tools to prevent further infections and save lives.
“Cases are rising for the past several weeks. These are worrying trends as we continue to see opening of societies and emergence of variants. Basic public health measures remain the foundation of pandemic response and we need to reinforce them. We need to apply all the tools we have, and apply them together” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region.
Surveillance, testing, contact tracing, isolation, supportive quarantine and compassionate care – they all work to stop infections and save lives, and so do vaccines, she said.
Consistent use of masks, hand hygiene, ventilation, social distancing continues to be our best guards even today, and should be strictly followed, even by people who have already been vaccinated.
“We urge everyone – whether they have had COVID-19 or not – to take all precautions including physical distancing, hand and respiratory hygiene, wearing a mask and ensuring adequate ventilation to prevent getting or spreading COVID-19”, the Regional Director said.
