Statement – Transition to a ‘new normal’ during the COVID-19 pandemic must be guided by public health principles

16 April 2020, Copenhagen, Denmark, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe

Statement to the press by Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe

16 April 2020, Copenhagen, Denmark

Good morning.

Thank you for joining us once again. For over 100 days we have been battling COVID-19 around the world. Let me begin by providing you with a snapshot of the current epidemiological situation and trends we have observed across the 53 countries in the WHO European Region.

The storm clouds of this pandemic still hang heavily over the European Region.

Case numbers across the Region continue to climb. In the past 10 days, the number of cases reported in Europe has nearly doubled to close to 1 million. This means that about 50% of the global burden of COVID-19 is in this Region. Sadly, over 84,000 people in Europe have lost their lives to the virus.

Of the 10 countries in the Region with the highest numbers of cases, there have been optimistic signs in terms of declining numbers in Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Switzerland in recent weeks. But small, positive signals in some countries are tempered by sustained or increased levels of incidence in other countries including the UK, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, and the Russian Federation.

The next few weeks will be critical for Europe.

The impact of this virus has darkened all our lives. My thoughts and deepest sympathy are with those grieving from the loss of loved ones or who or are seriously ill themselves. And I send my heartfelt gratitude to those on the frontline, in health and care services, who are keeping services operating, working relentlessly to save lives.

I would also like to express my thanks to everyone for adhering to the national and local measures and restrictions in place over the last holiday weekend, and appeal to all to continue following these as we approach orthodox Easter in the coming days.

Make no mistake, despite this spring weather, we remain in the midst of a storm. Several countries are yet to feel its full impact, while others are experiencing a dip as numbers of new cases of COVID-19 are falling.

It is imperative that we do not let down our guard. But physical distancing, lockdowns and other measures to slow down and stop transmission are affecting lives and livelihoods. People are rightly asking: How much do we have to endure? And for how long?  In response, governments, and health authorities must come up with answers to identify when, under what conditions and how we can consider a safe transition through a gradual shift in measures.

New WHO Regional Office for Europe guidance will be released at the beginning of next week. I’ll be sharing the key points of that guidance with Ministries of Health from the 53 Member States of the WHO European Region tomorrow morning.

I am extremely grateful to the independent European Strategic Advisory Group on COVID-19 for their feedback and input last Tuesday and to the Directors General for Health in the Region for their comments and input yesterday.

As we consider transition, we must acknowledge there are no ‘quick wins’. Complexity and uncertainty lie ahead, which means that we are entering a period where we may need to rapidly adjust measures, introduce and remove restrictions, and ease restrictions gradually, whilst constantly monitoring the effectiveness of these actions and the response of the public.

Ultimately, the behaviour of each of us will determine the behaviour of the virus. This will take perseverance and patience, there is no fast-track back to normal.

Any step to ease restrictions and transition must ensure:

  1. That evidence shows COVID-19 transmission is controlled;
  2. That public health and health system capacities including hospitals are in place to identify, isolate, test, trace contacts and quarantine them;
  3. That outbreak risks are minimized in high-vulnerability settings – particularly in elderly homes, mental health facilities and people residing in crowded places;
  4. That workplace preventive measures are established – with physical distancing, handwashing facilities, respiratory etiquette in place;
  5. That importation risks can be managed; and
  6. That communities have a voice and are engaged in the transition.

My single over-riding message? If you cannot ensure these criteria are in place, before easing restrictions, please re-think.

COVID-19 is unforgiving and has the ability to overwhelm even the strongest of health systems in Europe, quickly. If countries do not have adequate all-of-society and all-of-government preparedness and response strategies in place, if your health workforce is not trained, equipped and protected, if your citizens are not informed and empowered with evidence-based information, then the pandemic will sweep through your communities, businesses and health systems, taking lives and livelihoods with it.

Watch, learn and listen to each other – particularly the countries that are already taking steps to ease restrictions and transition to a next phase of response. Solidarity is key here, between the health authorities and COVID-19 response leads in the respective countries.

In conclusion - We remain in the eye of the storm. When we put proven measures in place - ensuring that we can identify, isolate and test all suspect cases, and quarantine and monitor the health of all close contacts; providing care to those who need it; together with physical distancing measures if necessary - we can stop the virus in its tracks.

Any steps to transition towards ‘a new normal’ must be guided by public health principles, together with economic and societal considerations. We learn better, together.  Now, more than ever, I call for solidarity between countries. It is the time to step-up and display both responsive and responsible leadership to steer us through this storm.

Thank you.