WHO backs easing coronavirus lockdowns in some areas if able to test and contact-trace

National leaders should plan to end lockdowns in certain areas, provided they have widespread coronavirus testing and “very sophisticated surveillance” capabilities to watch for new outbreaks, according to the World Health Organization.

“If you know what’s happening in every town, if you know what’s happening in every municipality, in every county, in every province, you can then begin to adapt your measures for the situation in that particular area,” WHO Health Emergencies Program Executive Director Michael Ryan told reporters Friday.