WHO Europe Director General Hans Kluge has said, "We remain in the eye of the storm. When we put proven measures in place - ensuring that we can identify, isolate and test all suspect cases, and quarantine and monitor the health of all close contacts."
He has called upon the European countries that any steps to transition towards "a new normal" must be guided by public health principles, together with economic and societal considerations.
He added, "Now, more than ever, I call for solidarity between countries. It is the time to step-up and display both responsive and responsible leadership to steer us through this storm."
He has asked the countries of the continent to express solidarity in fighting the disease.
Kluge added, "Solidarity is key here, between the health authorities and COVID-19 response leads in the respective countries,"
He has asked the countries to learn from each other about the ways to handle the outbreak and how to lift lockdowns once the situation is under control.
He also added, "Case numbers across the region continue to climb. In the past 10 days, the number of cases reported in Europe has nearly doubled to close to 1 million."
As of Thursday, Europe has close to one million cases which are about 50 per cent of all cases globally.
Kluge added, "Make no mistake, despite this spring weather we remain in the midst of a storm. Several countries are yet to feel its full impact, while others are experiencing a lull as numbers of new cases of COVID-19 are falling."
( With inputs from ANI )