World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday said that countries suffering from rapid COVID-19 spread must prevent the events as opening up without virus control would be a “recipe for disaster”.
He recognized that many people are getting tired of restrictions and want to return to a normal routine.
The WHO fully supported efforts to reopen economies and societies. Speaking to a news conference, he added: “We want to see children returning to school and people returning to workplaces, but we want to see it done safely.”
“No country can just pretend the pandemic is over,” he said. “The reality is this virus spreads easily. Opening up without control is a recipe for disaster.”
“Explosive outbreaks” have been linked to gatherings of people at stadiums, nightclubs, places of worship and other crowds, where the respiratory virus can spread easily among clusters of people, Tedros said.
“Decisions about how and when to allow gatherings of people must be taken with a risk-based approach, in the local context,” he said.