On Wednesday, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Gbebreyesus, said about 2.5 million cases and over 160,000 deaths related to the coronavirus have been recorded globally, during his opening remarks at a media briefing on COVID-19 in Geneva.

He said that WHO had noticed different trends of the virus spread in different regions, saying most of the epidemics in Western Europe appear to be stable or declining.

He, however, said, “Although numbers are low, we see worrying upward trends in Africa, Central and South America, and Eastern Europe. Most countries are still in the early stages of their epidemics. And some that were affected early in the pandemic are now starting to see a resurgence in cases”.

Tedros Ghebreyesus issued a sober warning. “Make no mistake: we have a long way to go. This virus will be with us for a long time”.

He added that “There’s no question that stay-at-home orders and other physical distancing measures have successfully suppressed transmission in many countries”. He, however, said the virus remained “extremely dangerous.”

Speaking about the desire of many to see the lockdown orders lifted, he said, “One of the greatest dangers we face now is complacency. People in countries with stay-at-home orders are understandably frustrated with being confined to their homes for weeks on end.”

Read his full statement here