The coronavirus pandemic keeps spreading around the world, without any signs of slowing down, except in the western European countries.

However, the World Health Organization, WHO, is pointing a tremendous increase in newly infected people in the eastern Mediterranean region, reaching over a million cases.

The continuous spread of COVID-19 is overpassing the numbers of any other disease, especially in the following countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Morocco, Palestinian territories, and Oman.

The eastern Mediterranean region spans from Morroco to Pakistan, and the WHO had registered 23,461 Covid-19 related deaths during this pandemic.

The WHO regional director for the eastern Mediterranean, Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari said: “This is a very concerning milestone. As shops, restaurants, mosques, businesses, airports and other public places begin to open up, we need to be more vigilant and cautious than ever before. One million people have been infected, tens of thousands have died, and many more are still at risk in our Region,” at a press conference on Sunday.

According to him, many countries are moving fast to reopen and save the economy, while jeopardizing the health and the lives of their citizens.

Putting the guard down and acting as if everything is back to normal is still not an option. Governments and individuals must stick to the protective measures and act responsibly before the massive second wave of COVID-19.