On Friday, March 20, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement saying, “Wuhan provides hope for the rest of the world that even the most severe situation can be turned around.”
For the first time in months, Wuhan City in China considered the ground zero of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19, recorded no new domestic cases of the virus since reporting its first case in December.
While Wuhan City is rising above the pandemic, COVID-19 cases are growing at an accelerating rate in countries such as Italy, Iran, Spain, the United States and most recently, Germany, who reported a 12% increase on Saturday’s figures from 1,948 in the past 24 hours to 18,610.
As of today, the global coronavirus pandemic has topped 300,000 infections and has killed more than 11,000 people. The epicenter of the outbreak has also shifted from East Asia to Europe.
“Last March 19, Wuhan reported no new cases for the first time since the outbreak started,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual news conference in Geneva.
“Wuhan provides hope for the rest of the world that even the most severe situation can be turned around.”
However, Tedros quickly added that people must still exercise caution or the situation could reverse. For the last couple of days, China has been reporting only a few infections, with the majority considered as imported cases.
According to WHO, the greatest concern right now is the effect that the virus could have when it gains momentum in countries with weaker health systems and more vulnerable populations. Tedros adds that this has now become a very real and urgent concern and that sickness and loss of life in such countries were not inevitable.
“Unlike any pandemic in history, we have the power to change the way this goes,” he said.
There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent illness is to practice caution by protecting yourself. Social distancing, handwashing and using alcohol and sanitizers that contain at least 60% alcohol are just some ways to avoid being infected.
What Can You Do While Waiting?
Right now, we have to wait, keep healthy, and make the best of the situation.
Make the most of your time by studying courses online!
Here are some online courses you can study:
- Chinese Group Classes from HSK 1 – 6
- 1 on 1 Online Chinese Classes with BLCU
- Online Business Program with Shanghai Jiaotong University
We are expecting the situation to improve within the next months. Admissions for September 2020 intake are open and being processed. You can apply for the September 2020 intake here. We are fully working and available to help you.
Do you need any help? As always, we are here to support you.
Please complete the form below and we will do our best to help. You can also contact us on social media – Instagram or Facebook.
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