An urgent need of protective gears for the frontline warriors against the Coronavirus pandemic, the medical fraternity,  and the shortage of it is one of the most pressing threats in the fight to prevent deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday and urged  that “this problem can only be solved with international cooperation and solidarity.”

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “The chronic global shortage of personal protective equipment is now one of the most urgent threats to our collective ability to save lives,” while  holding a virtual news conference in Geneva.

The WHO had already sent almost two million individual items of personal protective equipment (PPE) to 74 countries. It will now send a similar amount to other 60 countries.

Tedros  also urged the G20 countries to use their “industrial might and innovation” to produce and distribute the tools needed to save more lives.

“We must also make a promise to future generations, saying never again,” he added.

According to WHO chief,  100,000 people who had the virus have now recovered.

He added, “We’re only at the beginning of this fight. We need to stay calm, stay united and work together.

The global death toll has reached 27,360. while the confirmed cases of Coronavirus has reached 6,00,000.

Europe is the worst-hit continent with 17,314 fatalities. Italy had the highest numbers of deaths in the world at 8,165, followed by Spain (4,858) and China (3,292).

Italy recorded a shocking spike in coronavirus deaths Friday with 969 new victims, the worst daily record for any country since the pandemic began.

The US now has more COVID-19 cases than any other country after more than 16,000 COVID-19 infections were reported in a single day, mostly in the New York City. The number of people infected with the novel Coronavirus in the United States hit more than 104,000 early on Saturday, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally, with the number of fatalities surpassing 1,700.

China has reported 54 new imported Coronavirus cases, taking their tally in the last few days to 649, while the death toll in the country has risen to 3,295 with three more fatalities confirmed on Friday, China’s National Health Commission said on Saturday. While no new locally transmitted cases of Covid-19 were reported on Friday, the number of Coronavirus infections in people returning from abroad has gone up to 649 with 54 new cases reported, it said.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday disclosed he has tested positive for Coronavirus but will continue to discharge his duties from self-isolation.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization warned Friday that a dire lack of protective gear for health workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most pressing threats in the fight to prevent deaths, . “The chronic global shortage of personal protective equipment is now one of the most urgent threats to our collective ability to save lives,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual news conference in Geneva.

The International Monetary Fund chief has said the global economy has entered recession and it will be much worse than the financial crisis of 2009.