As some countries begin to ease their lockdown restrictions, the World Health Organization has warned that rushing to open up economies again will likely lead to a resurgence of the illness.
“This is not the time to be lax. Instead, we need to ready ourselves for a new way of living for the foreseeable future,” said Dr. Takeshi Kasai, the WHO regional director for the Western Pacific.
He called on governments to remain vigilant, and to only ease restrictions gradually, striking the right balance between stopping the virus and allowing economies to function.
“As we move forward in this difficult time, our lives, our health system and approach to stopping transmission must continue to adapt and evolve along with the epidemic, at least until a vaccine or very effective treatment is found. This process will need to become our new normal,” he said.
