World Health Organization Coronavirus News Conference

The World Health Organization (WHO) held a briefing on the coronavirus pandemic. “In the past week, we have seen a rapid escalation of cases of COVID-19,” said WHO’s director-general. He said that while they had also seen an increase in such social distancing measures as closing schools and canceling sporting events, they “have not seen an urgent enough escalation in testing, isolation, and contact tracing, which is the backbone of the response.” The director-general said that social distancing alone is not enough to combat the pandemic and that testing needs be at the forefront of the fight against coronavirus. “You cannot fight a fire blindfolded, and we cannot stop this pandemic if we don’t know who is infected,” he said. “We have a simple message for all countries: test, test, test.” close