Mumbai: In a statement released, The World Health Organization (WHO) has set out six criteria to help countries decide when to lift lockdowns. WHO said that countries should look at lifting the lockdowns when transmission is controlled, additional capacity in the health system is in place to trace, treat and isolate patients, outbreaks risks are minimized in special settings like nursing homes, preventive measures are in place like schools and work places, importation risks can be managed and communities are engaged to adjust to the new norm.
Every country should implement a comprehensive set of measures to reach a low level or no transmission. Countries should also be able to address deaths caused by Covid-19. “Some countries and communities have endured weeks of social and economic restrictions. Some countries are considering when to lift restrictions. Others are considering whether and when to introduce them. These decisions should be based on human health and guided by how the virus behaves,” said Tedros Adhanom, director general, WHO.
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Lockdown measures that were introduced by wealthy countries cannot be replicated in middle and lower income countries; so, measures such as stay at-home orders may not be practical, it said. “Migrants, refugees are living in overcrowded conditions. How do you survive when you are in a lockdown? Physical distancing is just part of the equation, many public health measures are part of this containment,” the WHO chief said.
