WHO warns Australia should prepare for pandemic without delay

The World Health Organization raised its threat on Tuesday that it may not be ready for an epidemic in Australia without further overseas testing, warning the country was at risk of having one “very fast epidemic. “

Australia has been denied entry to nearly two million foreign nationals who have sought asylum after months of being stranded in the country by an outbreak centred in the northeastern state of New South Wales.

The outbreak can kill a single infected person in about three weeks.

The death toll from the coronavirus pandemic in mainland China rose to 35 on Monday, according to the National Health Commission, though figures have now reached 2, 219 fatalities for more than 100, 000 cases.

“We may see it in the next few weeks, we may not, ” Ellen Johnson said in a short breaking news broadcast on social media channels.

Some analysts expect Australia to get a mid-July peak as it may see both patients and non-patients tested, especially further afield, the same as New Zealand. – Japan is a frequent transit point for immigrants back to Australia, and in Australia arrivals who have left for offshore islands and are deemed high risk remain in quarantine a few months after their arrival.

In his weekly news briefing, deputy medical director Wolfgang Albers said a decline in the number of severe cases over the past two weeks was “very concerning”. Australia has also warned of “serious gaps” in the ability to detect COVID-19 in nearly two dozen other countries.

“If these stoppages persist, we will be in serious risk territory and will need to introduce the use of triage, use continuous community contact tracing, as we have done in some of our outbreaks, ” Johnson told radio 1 Today.