Some European countries, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway have lifted COVID-related rules and restrictions from their domains to reclassify the virus as a disease with no threat to society. In the U.K., the government wants to revoke the law that requires people who test positive to self-isolate. But the scientists from the World Health Organization have warned that it is too soon for the governments either to “surrender or to declare victory”.
It started with Denmark, lifting all restrictions on February 1. Then Norway had attempted to observe the same by lifting many of its COVID-19 measures on the same date. On the other hand, Sweden lifted the remaining restrictions on Feb. 9.
It is the Swedish government that is aiming to reclassify the coronavirus as a disease that is “not a danger to society or a threat to public health” from April 1. When Denmark and Norway claimed to scrap the COVID-19 measures, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference on the same day that most regions of the world were undergoing a “very worrying increase in deaths” due to the introduction of the Omicron variant.
He explained, “More transmission means more deaths.” He has further mentioned that every tool against COVID-19 must be used by each country. He said, “We are not calling for any country to return to a so-called lockdown. But we are calling on all countries to protect their people using every tool in the toolkit – not vaccines alone.”
Tedros warned, “It’s premature for any country either to surrender or to declare victory.” In spite of this warning, the U.K. Prime Minister, Boris Johnson revealed this week that self-isolation rules for people who test positive for the virus will end by the end of this month.
Although it seems good for economies and societies for the situations in nations going back to the normal days. But if the preeminent health organization in the world says it is too early to lift rules, then it is very likely indeed so.
