As global Covid-19 cases surpassed 30 million, United Nations (UN) officials again urged the international community to strengthen solidarity and cooperation to tackle the situation.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Friday said she was alarmed by restrictive measures imposed by several States against the independent media, as well as the arrest and intimidation of journalists, saying the free flow information was vital in fighting COVID-19.

China's experience so far has shown that the right policies make a difference in fighting the COVID-19 epidemic and mitigating its impact, though some of these policies come with difficult economic tradeoffs, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Friday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday that China stands ready to work with all other countries to step up international cooperation against the COVID-19 epidemic and safeguard global public health security.