Curtailed Christmas could be &#039;safest bet&#039;: WHO

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Posted by: Daniela Socolovschi

News / International

24 Nov. 2020 / 20:41

Curtailed Christmas could be 'safest bet': WHO

The WHO said Monday that avoiding family gatherings would be "the safest bet" over Christmas, insisting there is no zero-risk option for traditional holiday merry-making during the coronavirus pandemic, AFP reports.

World Health Organization officials said it was down to governments to weigh up the economic and social benefits of loosening pandemic restrictions over the festive period, while individuals would have to decide whether they might be putting more vulnerable relatives at risk.

Europe and the Americas are battling rising coronavirus caseloads that are pushing health systems to the brink, forcing governments to issue stay-at-home orders and close businesses heading into the crucial Christmas period.

Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's Covid-19 technical lead, said there were no "zero-risk" options.

"There's lower risk or higher risk -- but there is a risk," she told a virtual media briefing.

"This is incredibly difficult because especially during holidays... we really want to be with family but in some situations, the difficult decision not to have that family gathering is the safest bet."

She said everyone would have to take that decision for themselves, weighing up whether they could potentially be bringing the virus into the home of more vulnerable individuals with a higher risk of dying from the disease.

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