US floats action plan to support global response to COVID-19

Washington DC [USA], April 18 (ANI): The United States on Friday (local time) floated an action plan to support global response to COVID-19.
"An infectious disease threat anywhere is a threat everywhere and we all must unite to fight this critical global health security challenge, while ensuring we do not detract from the response in the US homeland," the State Department said in a statement.
The federal government noted the distribution of SAFER health package, a comprehensive package of services to support international partners around the world in combating the virus.
The package has been providing assistance of over USD 170 billion abroad over the past 10 years and created the foundation for many international partners to prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease threats, including COVID-19.
"Our SAFER package will share US expertise for the global benefit, saving lives by improving international partners' abilities to respond to the pandemic, while reducing secondary impacts of the pandemic. Together, we will recover stronger," the State Department said.
The focus is to save lives by improving countries' and international partners' ability to respond to the pandemic, reduce secondary impacts of the pandemic and promote US leadership and share US expertise for the global benefit, the statement read.
Stressing on further measures to contain the virus spread, the department said that social distancing, handwashing, self-isolation and quarantine, safe home care of infected people and support host governments' ability to do the same through diverse communication channels should be mandated.
"Community facilities for isolation of mild and moderate cases of illness should be established, other than COVID-19 hotlines and referral systems," it added.
Counteract COVID-19 rumours and misinformation through coordinated social marketing, social media and local news media, including radio, the department further said.
The US on Friday passed 700,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to a tally maintained by Johns Hopkins University.
With the highest number of cases and deaths of any country in the world, the US had recorded 700,282 cases of COVID-19 and 36,773 deaths, according to the Baltimore-based university. (ANI)