Thread by @kakape

"More than 15 million cases of #covid19 have now been reported to WHO, and almost 620,000 deaths”, says @DrTedros at presser. “Almost half of all cases reported so far are from just three countries”, he points out: US, Brazil and India.

@DrTedros "We're asking everyone to treat the decisions about where they go, what they do and who they meet with as life and death decisions. Because they are”, says @DrTedros.
“Your choices could be the difference between life and death for someone you love, or for a complete stranger."

@DrTedros "Don't expect someone else to keep you safe. We all have a part to play in protecting ourselves, and one another”, says @drtedros.
1. Know your situation:
"Do you know how many cases were reported where you leave yesterday?
Do you know where to find that information?"

@DrTedros 2. Minimize your exposure:
"Are you being careful to keep at least one meter from others? Are you still cleaning your hands regularly?
Are you following the advice of your local authorities?"

@DrTedros "No matter where you live, or how old you are, you can be a leader in your community, not just to defeat the pandemic. But to build back, better”, says @drtedros.

@DrTedros "In recent years we’ve seen young people leading grassroots movements for #climatechange and racial equality”, says @drtedros. "Now we need young people to start a global movement for health – for a world in which health is a human right, not a privilege."

@DrTedros (Opening comments from @drtedros today some of the clearest, strongest communication I’ve heard from WHO recently.)

@DrTedros Q about South Africa:
“The numbers have been increasing”, says @DrMikeRyan. "South Africa has a tremendous internal capacity in public health and it has done a good job in responding to what has been an escalating situation."

@DrTedros @DrMikeRyan Q about comments by US Sec of State Pompeo.
“The comments are untrue and unacceptable and without any foundation for that matter”, says @drtedros. “Our sole focus, and the focus of the entire organization is on saving lives."

@DrTedros @DrMikeRyan "I feel the need to say something as an American, as a proud @WHO employee”, says @mvankerkhove. "We are firmly focused on saving lives, as Dr. Tedros has said”, she says. “We will not be distracted."

@DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @WHO @mvankerkhove "Many of us have worked, seven days a week, 20 hours a day for the last seven months”, says @DrMikeRyan. "Everything we think, everything we do is focused on trying to save lives. and we send our people in harm’s way every day.”

@DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @WHO @mvankerkhove "None of us are perfect. But … we're here in the service of the vulnerable people of the world”, says @DrMikeRyan. "We are proud, proud to be WHO, and we will remain so. And we will serve the vulnerable people of the world, regardless of what is said about us."

@DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @WHO @mvankerkhove Clusters will come, says @DrMikeRyan: Questions are
“How quickly can you detect the cluster? How quickly can you test the people in that cluster? How quickly can you get the results from that? How quickly can you identify the contacts? How quickly can you identify risk factors?"

@DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @WHO @mvankerkhove Q from China Daily usually means either a dig at the US or asking about Chinese success. Today it’s the former: Given that half the cases are in US, Brazil and India, is WHO putting any "special resources on these three countries to put them on the right trajectory”?

@DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @WHO @mvankerkhove The three are “powerful, able, democratic countries who have tremendous internal capacities to deal with this disease”, says @drmikeryan. Notes "many hundreds of thousands of brave frontline workers doctors, nurses hygienists, logisticians and others who fight on the front lines"

@DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @WHO @mvankerkhove “Large countries can have large problems because by their very nature, they're large, they're populous, they're complex” says @DrMikeRyan. "I trust that these three countries ... will escalate and upgrade their responses in order to bring this disease under control.”