China’s zero-Covid approach no match for Omicron: WHO
- Health agency chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the coronavirus has changed significantly since it was first identified
- He adds that every country must decide its own policies but recommends a different approach
WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a media briefing on Tuesday that the highly infectious nature of the Omicron variant required a different approach, after similar remarks week drew sharp criticism from China.
“We know the virus better and we have better tools, including vaccines, so that’s why the handling of the virus should actually be different from what we used to do at the start of the pandemic,” he said.
Tedros added that the virus had changed significantly since it was first identified in Wuhan in late 2019, when China largely stopped its spread with lockdowns.
He said the WHO had repeatedly advised Chinese officials about their recommended Covid-19 containment strategies, but “regarding their choice of policies, it is up to every country to make that choice.”
The ruthless and often chaotic implementation of China’s zero-Covid approach has stirred considerable resentment and food shortages in Shanghai, where some residents have been under lockdown for six weeks.
WHO emergencies chief Dr Michael Ryan said the agency recognised China had faced a difficult situation with Covid-19 recently and commended authorities for keeping the number of deaths to a very low level.