The head of the World Health Organisation says he will self-quarantine after being identified as a contact of a person who tested positive for COVID-19. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on Twitter late Sunday that he is well and without symptoms but will self-quarantine in coming days, in line with WHO protocols, and work from home.
“I have been identified as a contact of someone who has tested positive for #COVID19. I am well and without symptoms but will self-quarantine over the coming days, in line with @WHO protocols, and work from home,” he tweeted.
“It is critically important that we all comply with health guidance. This is how we will break chains of #COVID19 transmission, suppress the virus, and protect health systems,” he said in another tweet. “My @WHO colleagues and I will continue to engage with partners in solidarity to save lives and protect the vulnerable. Together!”
The WHO director-general has been at the forefront of the global response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected at least 46.5 million people and led to more than 1.2 million deaths, according to a count of confirmed cases by Johns Hopkins University.
The tweet did not identify who among his contacts had been infected. The UN health agency is based in Geneva, where cases are increasing and where tighter restrictions were announced Sunday aimed to curb the spread of the virus. More than 1,000 new cases have been recorded each day recently in an area of about 500,000 people.
The Eritrean, who is a graduate of the University of London and the University of Nottingham, is the first non-physician and the first African to become chief of the WHO. His announcement comes as the overall number of global coronavirus cases as of Monday morning has reached 46,420,940, while the death toll stood at 1,199,501, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
The US is the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 9,199,523 and 230,934. India comes in second place in terms of cases at 8,184,082, while the country's death toll soared to 122,111.