MOSCOW, April 23. /TASS/. Russia shares and supports the approaches of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the fight against the coronavirus, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
"Russia supports measures, which the WHO and its leadership are taking to combat the coronavirus, and stands for strengthening the organization’s coordinating role in the fight against the pandemic," the Russian diplomat said.
"We proceed from the need to immediately cancel all illegal unilateral sanctions, which are worsening the humanitarian situation in a whole number of states amid the pandemic," she added.
The current crisis has proven to be a test for many states for their readiness to develop "new approaches in contemporary international relations for drastically resolving acute issues of the collective agenda, " the Russian diplomat stressed.
"Today we have a unique opportunity, once we comprehend the essence of the developments, realize our interrelation and inter-dependence and the common nature of the destinies in the face of a real planetary threat, to confirm that there is no alternative to joint constructive efforts and initiatives in solving common tasks," the Russian diplomat said.
In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia.
On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest statistics, over 2,600,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 184,000 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 723,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.
To date, a total of 62,773 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 4,891 patients having recovered from the virus. Russia’s latest data indicates 555 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.