The head of the World Health Organization warned on Monday that the new coronavirus crisis was far from over and said that he was “deeply concerned” about the impact of the disruption of normal health services.

“The pandemic is far from over,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, adding that the body was concerned about increasing trends in Africa, eastern Europe, Latin America and some Asian countries. “We have a long road ahead of us and a lot of work to do.” He  added that shortages of vaccines against other diseases were being reported in 21 countries as a result of border restrictions linked to the pandemic.

The WHO had sounded the highest level of alarm over coronavirus early on, Tedros said, but lamented that not all countries had heeded its advice. He noted the organization warned the Covid-19 outbreak constituted a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” on January 30, when there were only 82 cases registered outside China, AFP reported.

“The world should have listened to WHO then carefully,” Tedros told a virtual press briefing. Australia last week called for all members of the WHO to support an independent review into the origins and spread of the coronavirus, while China has opposed the proposal.

Source: RT