The World Health Organization is raising its pandemic alert to phase 6, the top level on its six-point scale, to indicate a flu pandemic is under way, WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan said on Thursday, June 11, 2009.
“This means the world is moving into the early days of its first influenza pandemic in the 21st century,” Chan told reporters.
Chan said the move reflected the geographic spread of the virus but did not indicate the severity of the influenza (A) H1N1 pandemic. She said the WHO’s global assessment was that the pandemic was moderate.
She also said the WHO did not recommend closing borders and said there should not be restrictions on the movement of people, goods and services at this time.
Geneva, June 11, 2009 ~ (Reuters) H1N1 Swine Flu Pandemic
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