WHO: Europe now world's COVID-19 epicenter
(VOVWORLD) -The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that Europe is now the world's COVID-19 pandemic epicenter, as cases in Italy and other nations on the continent soared, and as the WHO launched a new fundraising effort designed to expand donations from individuals and businesses to support the response.
At a media briefing on Friday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said global deaths from the novel coronavirus have reached 5,000, most of which are from China. But Europe is now reporting more cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, except for China. Tedros said that more cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic, and urged countries to take a comprehensive approach that doesn't rely on testing, contact tracing, or social distancing alone.
In another development, Tedros announced the launch of the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, which includes partners from the United Nations Foundation and the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation. It will allow individuals and organizations to contribute.