The world will not return to the "old normal for the foreseeable future", estimated, Monday July 13, the World Health Organization (WHO), after a record day of contamination to 230,000 new cases of coronavirus.

"The virus remains the number one public enemy, but the actions of many governments and people do not reflect this," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the media during a virtual press conference. .

>> Read: Withdrawal of the United States from WHO: the choice of America first

And to believe that "too many countries are going in the wrong direction". "Conflicting messages from leaders undermine the most essential ingredient of any response: trust," he added, without citing their names.

The head of the WHO once again called on governments to communicate clearly with their citizens and to put in place a comprehensive strategy to eliminate transmission and save lives, while asking people to follow the multiple barriers , such as respecting the distance, washing your hands and wearing a mask, and isolating yourself if they were sick.

"If the basic principles are not followed", a pandemic that will go "worse and worse"

"If basic principles are not followed, this pandemic can only go in one direction. It will get worse and worse," he said. "I want to be frank with you: there will be no return to the old normal for the foreseeable future," said the head of the WHO.

"There will be no return to the old 'normal' for the foreseeable future.

But there is a roadmap to a situation where we can control the disease and get on with our lives" - @ DrTedros # COVID19

- World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) July 13, 2020

The new coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 569,000 people worldwide since the WHO China office reported the disease in late December.

More than 12.9 million cases of infection have been officially diagnosed, of which at least 6.9 million are now considered cured.

The United States, which recorded its first death linked to the coronavirus in early February, is the country most affected, in terms of number of deaths and cases, followed by Brazil. "The epicenter of the virus is still to be found on the American continent, where more than 50% of cases have been recorded worldwide," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

With AFP

The France 24 week summary invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 app

google-play-badge_FR