DG remarks and audio link for COVID-19 press briefing, 11 January, 2021

WHO Media ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

No images? Click here Monday 11 January, 2021 Please find enclosed the link of the WHO Director-General's statement as well as the audio file from the COVID-19 media briefing on 11 January: https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19-11-january-2021 One year ago, the first death from COVID-19 was reported and WHO issued its first tranche of technical guidance. A year on, there have been almost 2 million deaths from the COVID-19 virus and while we are hopeful about the safe and effective vaccines that are being rolled out, we want to see this sped up and vaccines allocated equitably in the coming weeks. Next week at the WHO Executive Board, I will be encouraging all countries to fulfill their pledges to COVAX. WHO continues to ask vaccine manufacturers from around the world to move swiftly to provide the necessary data that will allow us to consider them for emergency use listings.   Over the weekend, WHO was notified by Japan about a new variant of the virus. What’s most critical is that we sequence the virus effectively so we know how it’s changing and how to respond.  Last week, WHO released a comprehensive implementation guide and risk-monitoring framework to help countries set up high-impact sequencing programmes. We call on all countries to increase the sequencing of the virus to supplement ongoing surveillance, monitoring and testing efforts.   We are pleased that an international team of scientists – distinguished experts from ten institutions and countries – are commencing their travel to China to engage in and review scientific research with their Chinese counterparts on the origins of the virus.   Full media briefing audio link: https://terrance.who.int/mediacentre/presser/WHO-AUDIO_Emergencies_Coronavirus_Press_Conference_11JAN2021.mp3 Length: 58mins Link to news edit: https://who.canto.global/b/MFA07 TRT 3mins 9 sec Shows: (approximative transcription, please check against delivery) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General   " Next week at the WHO Executive Board, I will be encouraging all countries to fulfill their pledges to COVAX. I call for a collective commitment so that within the next 100 days, vaccination for health workers and those at high-risk in all countries are underway. Governments, manufacturers, civil society, religious and community leaders must come together to create the greatest mass mobilization in history for equitable vaccination." Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General   " Just as we look forward on research and rolling out vaccines, we continue work on the origins. We are pleased that an international team of scientists – distinguished experts from ten institutions and countries – are commencing their travel to China to engage in and review scientific research with their Chinese counterparts on the origins of the virus. " Dr Mike Ryan EXD, WHO Health Emergencies Programme   " I would love to be here saying there are other things we can do. All we can do is pick ourselves up and take the fight back to the virus. For those of you who have the virus under control, do not lose control. Look at what other countries are suffering as they have lost control of the virus. So if you're in a low incidence or a zero incident situation, keep it up. It is worth the effort. If you're in a, as many countries are, in a difficult transmission environment right now, there are no other options, but to do what you've done before. " Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, COVID-19 Technical lead, WHO Health Emergencies Programme   " This virus is controllable. Even these variants that we are seeing, having variants become identified because we have good sequencing that's happening globally and that's increasing globally. The fact that we are identifying variants that have increased transmissibility in some situations is not good. It doesn't help the situation. It makes it that much harder, but we still have control over this virus. There were increases in transmission and a number of countries before these variants were identified before these variants were circulating and that was due to increased mixing of people. There's no way around that. " Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, COVID-19 Technical lead, WHO Health Emergencies Programme   " We changed our mixing patterns over the summer into the fall and especially around the Christmas and New Year holiday. The number of contacts that individuals had and their families had increased significantly over the Christmas and New Year holiday. And that has had a direct impact on the exponential growth that you have seen in many countries. Some of the exponential growth we've seen in countries is almost vertical. It's not even at a slant, it's almost vertical, but that doesn't mean we've lost the battle. "   Media assets and information on COVID-19 https://who.canto.global/v/coronavirus Media contacts: mediainquiries@who.int   You are receiving this NO-REPLY email because you are included on a WHO mail list. If you have been forwarded this update you can click here to subscribe. Do not reply to media@campaign.who.int as it is an unmonitored mailbox. Journalists may write to mediainquiries@who.int.   World Health Organization, Avenue Appia 20, 1202 Geneva 27, Switzerland    Share    Tweet    Share    Forward  Preferences  |  Unsubscribe