WHO says COVID-19 situation in Eastern Mediterranean region remains alarming
CAIRO, July 16 (Xinhua) : The current situation in the Eastern Mediterranean region remains alarming, a statement issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Regional Director Ahmed Al-Mandhari said on Thursday.
“This week, cases increased by 10 percent from last week, with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, and Iraq reporting almost 70 percent of all cases,” Al-Mandhari said, noting that deaths in the region also increased by 13 percent. A total of one million people in the region are reported as recovered from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, he added.
“In countries facing emergencies, the situation may be underestimated, and even in countries where the situation seems to be stabilizing, we are seeing reductions in the number of people being tested, which affects the number of cases reported,” he noted.
Meanwhile, the WHO official reminded that “as public health measures are lifted, the vulnerability of people across the region is now dramatically increasing.” The reopening of borders brings new risks of imported cases coming to countries that have successfully managed to contain the spread of the virus, he added.