Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Russia, the UK and Spain are among the top ten countries in the world that account for the majority of new cases of COVİD-19 infection in the past 24 hours, World Health Organization Regional Director Hans Kluge said at a press conference in Copenhagen.

In total, 160 thousand people died of coronavirus infection in the WHO European Region, which is 56 percent of all deaths in the world. As Kluge emphasized, a particularly difficult situation is observed in Eastern European countries.

Meanwhile, 39 states in the region have announced a decision to relax restrictive measures. In this regard, H. Kluge called on the authorities to listen to public opinion and be ready to change their course, and the population to remain vigilant and show responsibility.

The WHO representative recalled new cases in China and South Korea that weakened quarantine measures after a seemingly complete victory over the virus, but new cases were not long in coming.

“Until we have a vaccine or effective treatment available to everyone, we can limit the spread of infection only with the cooperation of the authorities and the people,” he said.

WHO proposes to conduct regular opinion polls to understand how the population reacts to one or another measure to contain the pandemic. About twenty countries in the region use questionnaires proposed by WHO.

Returning to the issue of lifting restrictions, H. Kluge once again urged each member of the society to behave responsibly, while communicating with others to observe the distance and wash their hands. He noted that some people believe in conspiracy theories and refuse to follow recommendations, others take excessive care, limit any contacts and deprive, for example, themselves of the opportunity to see a doctor.

“Our behavior determines the trajectory of this pandemic,” said the representative of WHO. “When governments lift restrictions, all responsibility [for containing the infection] rests with the population.” He recalled that, neglecting the rules, people are most at risk for older members of society and people with concomitant diseases.