WHO Tells Governments to Bring Back Mask Mandates Because Pandemic “Nowhere Near Over”
(by Will Jones | The Daily Skeptic) – The COVID-19 pandemic is “nowhere near over”, warns WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, as he urges governments to reintroduce measures like face masks to “push back” against a rise in global Covid infections. GB News has more.
In a speech at a news conference in Geneva on Tuesday, the Director-General emphasised his “concern” over rising coronavirus cases, stating “further pressure” is being burdened on “health systems and health workers”.
Commending the progress governments have made globally in tackling the pandemic, the WHO Director-General said: “Of course, there’s been a lot of progress. We have safe and effective tools that prevent infections, hospitalisations and deaths. However, we should not take them for granted.”
Noting the recent spike in hospitalisations of patients with coronavirus, he urged governments to “deploy tried and tested measures like masking, improved ventilation and test and treat protocols”.
The WHO’s emergency committee on the pandemic met on Friday via video-conference and determined the pandemic remains a matter of Public Health Emergency of International concern, the highest alarm the WHO can issue.
Acknowledging several “interlinked challenges” the committee stated how reduced testing made it increasingly difficult to monitor the spread of variants and how measures are reducing these.
He encouraged governments to “review and adjust” their COVID-19 protocol and response plans, in accordance with current epidemiology.
Prior to summer 2020, health authorities including the WHO were rightly clear that face masks are ineffective for preventing the transmission of airborne viruses like SARS-CoV-2. Read Full Article >