World in new and dangerous phase of COVID-19 pandemic: WHO

"The world is in a new and dangerous phase. Many people are understandably fed up with being at home. Countries are understandably eager to open up their societies and economies. But the virus is still spreading fast, it’s still deadly and most people are still susceptible," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a media briefing.

He said the pandemic is accelerating.

"More than 150K new cases of COVID19 were reported to WHO yesterday – the most in a single day so far. Almost half of those cases were reported from the Americas, with large numbers also being reported from South Asia & the Middle East," the WHO chief noted.

He called on all countries and all people to exercise extreme vigilance.

"Continue maintaining your distance from others. Stay home if you feel sick. Keep covering your nose and mouth when you cough. Wear a mask when appropriate.Keep cleaning your hands," Ghebreyesus urged.

He warned that as the COVID19 pandemic gathers pace, it’s the most vulnerable who will suffer the most.

"All countries rich and poor have populations who are vulnerable to a higher risk of severe disease and death," said he.

At present, the pandemic has infected 8,550,458 people across 188 countries with 456,881 deaths, according to John Hopkins University & Medicine's live coronavirus map.

The United States tops the chart of the worst-affected nations, with 2,205,307 cases and 118,758 fatalities, followed by Brazil, Russia and India.