WHO says rising COVID cases in Asia are just 'tip of the iceberg'

• Director-general of the World Health Organisation warns that rising cases in Asia are deadlier than what the numbers suggest. 
• He reminds people that with the rise in COVID cases, number of deaths also increase.
• Urges countries to take preventive measures and administer vaccinations. 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the increasing COVID-19 cases in Asia are just the "tip of the iceberg" even though the cases have been seeing a decline over the last few weeks.

Taking to Twitter, the Director-General of WHO Dr Tedros Adhanom wrote: "These increases are occurring despite reductions in testing in some countries, which means the cases we are seeing are just the tip of the iceberg."

He suggested that the real spread of the virus is "way more alarming" than what the numbers are showing.

Issuing the warning in very blatant terms, he reminded people that with the rise in COVID cases, the number of deaths has also increased. For this reason, precautions are a must, he said.

The world is seeing an enormous amount of cases in areas where no preventive measures are being taken, Tedros added. The cases are particularly high in places where vaccines are not being administered on a large scale.

He asked all countries to be vigilant and continue to keep the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place, administer vaccinations, and take measures to protect the public and health workers.

"The pandemic is not over," Tedros reminded everyone.