Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Update by WHO
Situation Report – 132
Data as received by WHO from national authorities by 10:00 CEST, 31 May 2020
Highlights
Today we celebrate World No Tobacco Day. Smoking kills 8 million people worldwide each year and is associated with increased severity of disease and death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
People living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are more vulnerable to becoming severely ill or dying from COVID-19. The pandemic has also caused NCD service disruption according to preliminary results of a rapid assessment, and WHO encourages governments to
‘build back better’.
The President of Costa Rica and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros launched the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool, a policy initiative aimed at making vaccines, tests, treatments and other health technologies to fight COVID-19 accessible to all. The initiative has five priority
areas.
Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, has released a statement analysing the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe and emphasizing that recovery must lead to a different economy, an economy of well-being.The WHO Regional Office for Africa has urged caution as countries ease lockdowns. WHO Regional Director Dr Moeti stressed that “Ending a lockdown is not an event, but a process…”
Situation in numbers (by WHO Region)
Total (new cases in last 24 hours)
Globally 5 934 936 cases (117 551) 367 166 deaths (4 461)
Africa 100 610 cases (3 708) 2 554 deaths (72)
Americas 2 743 793 cases (66 293) 157 702 deaths (3 094)
Eastern Mediterranean 505 001 cases (15 080) 12 353 deaths (275)
Europe 2 142 547 cases (20 197) 180 085 deaths (732)
South-East Asia 260 579 cases (11 054) 7 431 deaths (274)
Western Pacific 181 665 cases (1 219) 7 028 deaths (14)