Critical preparedness, readiness and response actions for COVID-19: interim guidance, 24 June 2020

Several countries have demonstrated that COVID-19 transmission from one person to another can be slowed or stopped. These actions have saved lives and have provided the rest of the world with more time to prepare for the arrival of COVID-19: to ready emergency response systems; to increase capacity to detect and care for patients; to ensure hospitals have space, supplies and necessary personnel; and to develop life-saving medical interventions. Every country should urgently take all necessary measures to slow the further spread and to avoid that their health systems become overwhelmed due to seriously ill patients with COVID-19.

The Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19 aims to:

• Slow and stop transmission, prevent outbreaks and delay spread.
• Provide optimized care for all patients, especially the seriously ill.
• Minimize the impact of the epidemic on health systems, social services and economic activity.

All countries should increase their level of preparedness, alert and response to identify, manage and care for new cases of COVID-19. Countries should prepare to respond to different public health scenarios, recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing cases and outbreaks of COVID-19. Each country should assess its risk and rapidly implement the necessary measures at the appropriate scale to reduce both COVID-19 transmission and economic, public and social impacts.