Europe has shown positive signs that it is passing the peak of its coronavirus outbreak, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.
Dr Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said the continent - which has become an epicentre of the global Covid-19 pandemic - is now seeing evidence of "a plateau or reduction in new cases".
Italy currently has the worst death toll in Europe with 27,682 reported fatalities, followed by the UK at 26,097, Spain with 24,275 and France with 24,087.
But during a virtual press briefing on Thursday, Dr Kluge said that the outbreak on the continent may now be heading in a new direction.
He said: “We’re now seeing evidence of a plateau or reduction in new cases.
“We must monitor this development very closely.”
But he added: “Covid-19 is not going away any time soon.”
Speaking during the WHO Europe briefing, Dr Kluge also urged governments to “reintroduce other health services quickly” amid concerns patients with cancer and other serious illnesses were not accessing essential care.
He said: “We cannot allow the impact of Covid-19 to be amplified by neglecting other health protection measures.”
While many European countries begin or prepare to ease lockdown measures, Donald Trump has abruptly ended the social distancing guidance in the US.
The country has seen the highest death toll worldwide with more than 60,000 reported deaths and one million reported cases, accounting for almost a third of the world's death toll.
The president laid out a vision on Wednesday of a return to pre-coronavirus normalcy - "with or without" a vaccine - with packed restaurants and filled stadiums.
That vision flies in the face of sober assessments from doctors who say the country will need to embrace a "new normal" that includes extended social distancing and mask-wearing.
