EU laid pre-conditions of lockdown exit, WHO suggests two-week staged approach

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged members stage to take a “gradual approach” in exiting the coronavirus lockdown. And “every action should be continuously monitored”. Also, she laid down three main pre-conditions for the exit: 1. Significant decrease in the spread of the coronavirus 2. Sufficient health system capacity 3. Adequate surveillance and monitoring capacity

Separately, the WHO said lifting of lockdowns should be down in stages of two weeks. WHO said: “To reduce the risk of new outbreaks, measures should be lifted in a phased, step-wise manner based on an assessment of the epidemiological risks and socioeconomic benefits of lifting restrictions on different workplaces, educational institutions, and social activities… Ideally there would be a minimum of 2 weeks (corresponding to the incubation period of COVID-19) between each phase of the transition, to allow sufficient time to understand the risk of new outbreaks and to respond appropriately.”