World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is heading into a voluntary quarantine after being in contact with someone infected with the novel coronavirus.
“I am well and without symptoms but will self-quarantine over the coming days, in line with WHO protocols, and work from home,” Tedros announced via Twitter on Sunday.
The WHO chief’s exposure comes as a surge in coronavirus cases across Europe is spurring governments to renew lockdowns, with varying degrees of intensity, despite the economic consequences of the measures earlier this year. Tedros’s precautionary step isn’t the only high-profile exposure, as German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer is also headed into isolation, even though she tested negative for the coronavirus.
“It is critically important that we all comply with health guidance,” Tedros added. “This is how we will break chains of [COVID19] transmission, suppress the virus, and protect health systems.”
Germany is proceeding with a “lockdown light” that closes bars, restaurants, and gyms while capping the size of public meetings. The United Kingdom has begun a lockdown scheduled to last until early December, as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged that the contagion had surpassed the “reasonable worst-case scenario” his team had anticipated, and France is also renewing its lockdown policies.
“We are trying to create the conditions for a Christmas that is as unconstrained as possible,” French Health Minister Olivier Véran said Sunday. “Our goal is for the pressure of the epidemic to fall so that we can do errands on time, prepare with joy, so that the conditions are such that families can reunite.”
