AP: WHO chief warns world leaders not to “politicize” pandemic
“World leaders must not politicize the coronavirus pandemic but unite to fight it, the head of the World Health Organization warned Monday, reminding all that the pandemic is still accelerating and producing record daily increases in infections. The comments by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who has faced criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, comes as the number of reported infections soared in Brazil, Iraq, India, and southern and western U.S. states, straining local hospitals…” (Gambrell, 6/22).

Axios: WHO reports highest single-day increase in confirmed coronavirus cases
“The World Health Organization on Sunday reported the pandemic’s largest single-day increase of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 183,000 cases reported in the last 24 hours, according to AP…” (Perano, 6/21).

U.N. News: COVID-19: U.N. health agency warns of ‘new and dangerous phase’ as cases mount
“The world is entering ‘a new and dangerous phase’ of the COVID-19 pandemic, as infection rates continue to climb, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. More than 150,000 new cases of the disease were reported on Thursday: the highest single daily total so far. Most were in the Americas, though ‘large numbers’ came from South Asia and the Middle East. ‘The world is in a new and dangerous phase. Many people are understandably fed up with being at home. Countries are understandably eager to open up their societies and economies,’ WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists. ‘But the virus is still spreading fast, it’s still deadly, and most people are still susceptible’…” (6/19).

Additional coverage of WHO’s comments is available from Axios, CNBC, CIDRAP News, The Guardian, The Hill (2), New York Times, and Reuters.