"The word pandemic is not of mild or indifferent use. Misuse can lead to fear for no reason, or an end to the struggle and despair, with pointless suffering and deaths that this would attract.

The declaration of the pandemic of the situation we are living in does not alter the words so far spoken by the World Health Organization about the threats of the coronavirus. It doesn't change what the WHO does and it doesn't change what countries have to do."

"We never saw a pandemic caused by a coronavirus. And at the same time, we've never seen a controllable pandemic. The WHO has continued to work on the elaboration of responses since the first cases were known to us.

Every day we have called on the peoples to act with violence and aggression. We called the alarm bell loud and clear.

As I said on Monday, the empty numbers of Covid-19 cases and affected countries do not complete the story osoa.Mundu, of the 118,000 Covid-19 that have come from the 114 countries of the entire history, more than 90% are from four countries, two of which the epidemic is losing a lot of strength.

81 countries have not so far made known a single case of COVID-19 and 57 have reported 10 cases or fewer. But we are not going to say too high, too clear or too high: all countries still have the opportunity to change the evolution of this pandemic.

If countries detect, treat, isolate and follow cases and mobilize their citizens to respond to them, the holders of a few COVID-19 cases will be able to prevent them from becoming outbreaks and these outbreaks from becoming intra-Community transmitters.

Countries with intra-community transmission or large outbreaks can also cope with the wave of this coronavirus. Several countries have shown that this virus can be eliminated and controlled. For many countries today struggling with the transmission of COVID-19, the challenge is not whether they can do the same as them, but whether they will do the same. Lack of capacity is a problem in some countries. The lack of resources is a problem for other countries. Of others, the lack of courage.

We are very grateful for the measures taken in Iran, Italy and South Korea to slow down the development of the virus and control the epidemic. We are aware that these measures are costly to their economies and to their societies, as happened to the Chinese.

We remind all countries, we ask them: 1) prepare your hospital, 2) support and train the health personnel, 3) take care of each other.

We ask all countries: 1) activated and reinforced the response capabilities of the emergency services; 2) explained to citizens the risks and how they can protect themselves; 3) found, isolated, tested and treated all cases of COVID-19 and monitored all contacts.

All countries must strike a balance between health protection, the reduction of economic and social damage and the preservation of human rights. I will tell you other words that are more important than the previous ones: Prevention. Availability. Public health. Political leadership. And most importantly of all: Citizens.

It is in our hands to do things well with peace of mind and to protect the people of the world. We can do it."

The World Health Organization (WHO) has put in a new parameter the international fight for the control of the Covid-19 epidemic. In a few hours the consequences will be seen in every corner, also in the Basque Country.