WHO Director-General Criticizes World Leaders: "Shutdown Measures Alone Won't Eradicate COVID-19"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged world leaders to implement stronger measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The current shutdown measures can slow the infection rate but are insufficient to completely eliminate the virus.

According to Bloomberg on the 27th, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus participated in a special G20 virtual summit the previous day, urging leaders to "fight like hell" and warning that "if we leave the COVID-19 virus unchecked, it could tear us apart."

Director-General Tedros stated, "Shutdowns can slow the infection rate but cannot eradicate it," and called on countries to lift export restrictions on medical equipment, isolate suspected cases, and implement contact tracing measures. He also requested support for low-income countries, including those in Africa.

The meeting was held via video conference among major leaders such as U.S. President Donald Trump, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Bloomberg reported that "Director-General Tedros's appeal came as President Trump is considering a gradual easing of shutdowns," adding that "he rarely reprimanded the leaders, saying they should have acted one or two months ago and that too much time has been wasted."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.