The Director-General of the World Health Organization said on Monday, April 13 that an “effective” vaccine is the only way to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.

During a televised news conference from Geneva, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned countries against lifting lockdown and social distancing measures until health measures have been properly implemented.

“Ultimately, the development and delivery of a safe and effective vaccine will be needed to fully interrupt transmission,” Tedros said.

Ghebreyesus also said that Covid-19 is 10 times more deadly than the 2009 flu pandemic.

The number of confirmed cases has surpassed 1.9 million worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking figures from the World Health Organization and additional sources.

More than 120,000 people have died from the novel coronavirus globally, as more than 461,000 are said to have recovered.