Tag: World Health Organization

Trump Attacks World Health Organization To Deflect From His Own Failures

President Donald Trump is now scapegoating the World Health Organization (WHO), claiming it must be held accountable for what he claims is their fault that the coronavirus spread into the United States. Trump took no responsibility for his actions allowing the coronavirus to spread throughout the U.S.

America is now the number one in the world for deaths and number of cases.

The WHO is Trump’s seventh target for blame to deflect from his horrific mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading.

Bill Gates, in rebuke of Trump, calls WHO funding cut during pandemic ‘as dangerous as it sounds’

Washington Post logoMicrosoft co-founder Bill Gates criticized President Trump’s decision to suspend funding to the World Health Organization as “dangerous,” saying the payments should continue particularly during the global coronavirus pandemic.

“Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds,” Gates tweeted early Wednesday. “Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever.”

The United States, the organization’s largest donor, has committed to provide the WHO with $893 million during its current two-year funding period, a State Department spokesperson told The Washington Post. Continue reading.

Trump to halt WHO funding amid review

The Hill logoPresident Trump on Tuesday said his administration will halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) pending a review of the global body for what he described as its mismanagement of the coronavirus outbreak.

Trump said at a White House briefing that the United States would suspend funding to the organization while officials conduct a review “to assess the World Health Organization’s role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus.”

The president criticized the WHO for opposing large-scale travel restrictions and accused it of failing to quickly vet and share accurate information on COVID-19. Continue reading.

WHO chief calls for ‘unity’ after Trump funding threat

“With unity, with solidarity, at a national level and global level, resources will not be a problem,” Tedros said.

The World Health Organization pushed back on Wednesday against growing criticism from the United States and Taiwan, with top officials defending their handling of the coronavirus pandemic against accusations that they were too quick to accept China’s view of the outbreak.

The WHO’s Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus largely deflected questions about the threat by U.S. President Donald Trump to cut off funding to the U.N.-linked global health body, expressing his hope that American support would continue.

“With unity, with solidarity, at a national level and global level, resources will not be a problem,” Tedros said, going on to thank the United States for its long history of support for global health, which he called “a bipartisan proposition.” Continue reading.

World Health Organization Issues Stern Warning Against Early End To Pandemic Restraints

The World Health Organization on Wednesday came out against sending people back to work and school in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that ending social distancing measures too soon could worsen the ongoing outbreak.

“These measures are the best way to suppress and stop transmission, so that when restrictions are lifted, the coronavirus doesn’t resurge,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general, said at a news conference on Wednesday.

“The last thing any country needs is to open schools and businesses, only to be forced to close them again because of a resurgence.” Continue reading.

Lockdowns not enough to defeat coronavirus: WHO’s Ryan

LONDON (Reuters) – Countries can’t simply lock down their societies to defeat coronavirus, the World Health Organization’s top emergency expert said on Sunday, adding that public health measures are needed to avoid a resurgence of the virus later on.

“What we really need to focus on is finding those who are sick, those who have the virus, and isolate them, find their contacts and isolate them,” Mike Ryan said in an interview on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.

“The danger right now with the lockdowns … if we don’t put in place the strong public health measures now, when those movement restrictions and lockdowns are lifted, the danger is the disease will jump back up.” Continue reading.

Outside influences force Congress’ hand on coronavirus protocols

Shift on Capitol Hill followed other major venues and organizations announcing restrictions

The decision to suspend tours of the Capitol followed a chaotic cascade of announcements Wednesday from the World Health Organization officially labeling COVID-19 as a pandemic to Washington, D.C., declaring a state of emergency and barring large-scale gatherings to a congressman’s decision to share “sustained precautionary protocols.”

Earlier in the week, a growing roster of lawmakers who had been in contact with people confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus was not enough for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the two chambers’ sergeants-at-arms to close the Capitol to visitors and tours.

Lawmakers and health and safety officials on the Hill struggled to make the choice about limiting access to the Capitol as they weighed the threat of the coronavirus against the desire to keep the building open to the public. Continue reading.

Dow enters bear market after coronavirus declared pandemic

Washington Post logoThe blue chip index dives nearly 1,500 points as a record, 11-year stock rally comes to a close

Wall Street went into a deep slump Wednesday, falling so far and so fast that the Dow Jones industrial average officially tipped into a bear market, ending a record 11-year stock rally.

The bear market reflects a 20 percent fall from record highs, which the Dow hit less than a month ago, and came after the coronavirus officially became a pandemic. The World Health Organization’s declaration Wednesday reflected its alarm that countries aren’t working quickly and aggressively enough to fight the disease covid-19, caused by the coronavirus.

The Dow — already deep in the red for the day — tumbled nearly 1,500 points after the WHO announcement. It closed at 23,553, a nearly 6 percent decline on the day. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index flirted with bear territory before closing just above the mark at 2,741, a 4.9 percent fall for the session. The Nasdaq composite tumbled 4.7 percent to 7,952. All three indexes are in negative territory for the year.

WHO declares coronavirus a pandemic

The Hill logoThe World Health Organization (WHO) is officially calling the coronavirus a pandemic.

“WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“We have therefore made the assessment that Covid-19 can be characterized as a pandemic,” he added. Continue reading.

WHO raises coronavirus threat assessment to highest level

The Hill logoThe World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday increased its coronavirus risk assessment to “very high” and warned foreign governments not to underestimate the threat.

Cases of the coronavirus have continued to spread outside China, but WHO officials said there is still a chance of containing the virus if action is taken quickly.

“The continued increase in the number of cases, and the number of affected countries over the last few days, are clearly of concern,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday. Continue reading.