World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday that "Decisions on lifting or imposing restrictions must be based first and foremost on protecting human health and guided by what is known about the virus." 

"While COVID-19 accelerates very fast, it decelerates more slowly; control measures must be lifted slowly." he added.

According to the WHO chief, "Some countries are considering when they can lift these restrictions; others are considering whether and when to introduce them.In both cases, these decisions must be based first and foremost on protecting human health, and guided by what we know about the virus and how it behaves."

He further said that since the beginning, this has been an area of intense focus for WHO.

"As we have said many times before, this is a new virus, and the first pandemic caused by a coronavirus. We're all learning all the time and adjusting our strategy, based on the latest available evidence."

He said while some countries are considering how to ease restrictions, others are considering whether to introduce them – especially many low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. 

"In countries with large poor populations, the stay-at-home orders and other restrictions used in some high-income countries may not be practical.Many poor people, migrants and refugees are already living in overcrowded conditions with few resources and little access to health care."

He wondered, "How do you survive a lockdown when you depend on your daily labor to eat? News reports from around the world describe how many people are in danger of being left without access to food."

Tedros further announced that the UN health agency will be publishing updated strategic advice on Tuesday with 6 criteria for countries considering lifting control measures.

SOURCE: W.H.O