WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, Dr Takeshi Kasaispoke of a ‘new normal’, one that improves both health and livelihoods during a virtual press conference with the World Economic Forum on COVID-19. He added “This ‘new future’ is the dividend of COVID-19 which WHO hopes for.”

The UN Secretary-General, Mr António Guterresin his remarks to the Security Council on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security warned that the COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting peace and security around the world. He stated that “Collective security and our shared well-being are under assault on many fronts led by a relentless disease and abetted by global fragilities.” 

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros and WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge addressed the European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety on the global response to COVID-19. “The EU is in a unique position to provide global leadership in defining the ‘new normal’ as part of the global recovery,” Dr Tedros said, though he cautioned parliamentarians that, globally, the situation “is still getting worse.”

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros has emphasized the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to responding to the pandemic -- “Not testing alone. Not physical distancing alone. Not contact tracing alone. Not masks alone. Do it all”, he said during yesterday’s regular media briefing.

It has never been clearer that communication is an important public health intervention that contributes to controlling pandemics. The WHO Regional Office for Europe discusses this and the risks of an “infodemic” – an overabundance of information, some of which can be misleading or even harmful. WHO launched the first Infodemiology conference on 29 June, which includes talks with experts on how the infodemic affects the world and reflections on how it can be managed.