Avoid contact with people as much as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, says World Health Organization director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
In a virtual press conference on Monday, he said every contact with someone outside your household was a risk.
“The level of risk varies according to the type of contact, the duration of contact, and the level of transmission where you live,” said Dr Ghebreyesus.
“Each contact might carry a small risk on its own but the more contacts, the higher the risk.
“In many northern hemisphere countries where the weather is warmer, people are getting together for social gatherings.
“In the southern hemisphere, colder temperatures are driving people inside.
“Both situations carry different risks, but when you know your risk, you can lower your risk.”
Dr Ghebreyesus said to fight COVID-19, all countries needed plans specific to their environment but in line with WHO guidelines.
“We continue to urge all countries to develop and implement comprehensive and cohesive national plans based on the 10 pillars of WHO’s strategic preparedness and response plan.
“How quickly we end the pandemic and how many sisters and brothers we lose along on the way, depends on how quickly and how fairly we vaccinate a significant proportion of the global population and how consistently we all follow proven public health measures.”
