WHO asks protesters to stay safe as Covid-19 spread hits new record

People taking part in mass protests should take safety precautions to avoid a new wave of coronavirus infections, UN health chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday after infections rose by a record 136,000 in the past 24 hours.

While the pandemic is ebbing in Europe, the global situation is worsening, with more than 100,000 daily new cases in nine of the 10 past days, the World Health Organization (WHO) leader told an online press conference from Geneva.

The vast majority of new infections come from South Asia and from the Americas.

"WHO fully supports equality and the global movement against racism," the Ethiopian WHO chief said, referring to the protests that were triggered by the latest death of a black US citizen during a police arrest.

"As much as possible, keep at least 1 metre from others, clean your hands, cover your cough and wear a mask if you attend a protest," he said.

Tedros also said authorities should actively look for new Covid-19 coronavirus disease cases, to make sure that infections do not rebound amid the mass demonstration.