COVID-19 situation in India a 'devastating reminder' of what virus can do: WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Tedros said that the WHO is 'deeply concerned' about the increasing number of coronavirus cases and deaths in India right now.

File Photos (Reuters)

New Delhi: The World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday (April 23, 2021) commented on the deteriorating COVID-19 situation in India and said that it is a 'devastating reminder' of what the virus can do.

Tedros also said that the WHO is 'deeply concerned' about the increasing number of coronavirus cases and deaths in India right now.

"We know that the situation is complex, and requires different responses in different parts of the country, and I welcome the steps the government has taken to reduce social mixing and boost vaccine production," he said during a media briefing on COVID-19.

The WHO Director-General added, "I offer my deep condolences to everyone in India who has lost someone they love. And I offer my deep commitment that WHO and our partners in the ACT Accelerator stand with the government and people of India and will do everything we can to save as many lives as we can."

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "The situation in India is a devastating reminder of what this virus can do and why we must marshal every tool against it in a comprehensive and integrated approach: public health measures, vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics."

"The situation in #India is a devastating reminder of what this virus can do and why we must marshal every tool against it in a comprehensive and integrated approach: public health measures, vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics"-@DrTedros — World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 23, 2021

The comments came on a day when India recorded the world's highest single-day spike of coronavirus cases. The country, second-worst coronavirus-hit in the world, reported 3,32,730 new infections on Friday. India's daily jump in cases of 3,14,835 has surpassed the previous highest one-day rise in the world of 2,97,430 cases in January in the United States of America. 

India now has a total of 1,62,63,695 coronavirus cases, as per the health ministry's data on Friday morning. India also witnessed 2,263 new deaths that took its total number of coronavirus-related fatalities to 1,86,920. While 1,36,48,159 have recovered, there are still 24,28,616 active cases in the country.

It is to be noted that the COVID-19 cases in India have tripled in the past 17 days. 


(With inputs from agencies)