After nearly three years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that the virus is no longer a global health emergency, the BBC reports.
This statement comes as a significant step towards ending the pandemic, but officials warn that the virus remains a significant threat.
COVID Is No Longer a Global Health Emergency
According to the WHO's latest report as of 4:16 pm CEST, there have been 765,222,932 confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally, including 6,921,614 deaths.
However, the WHO chief notes that the figure is estimated to be more than 20 million deaths - nearly three times the official estimate.
Speaking at the fifteenth meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, stated that the virus' death rate has decreased from a peak of over 100,000 per week in January 2021 to less than 3,500 on April 24. While the decline in fatalities is an encouraging sign, the virus remains a threat, particularly as new variants emerge.
"Yesterday, the Emergency Committee met for the 15th time and recommended to me that I declare an end to the public health emergency of international concern," Dr. Tedros said.
"I've accepted that advice. It's therefore with great hope that I declare COVID-19 over as a global health emergency," the chief confirms.
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The same committee recommended that the COVID-19 pandemic no longer represents an international public health emergency. The Committee made its decision based on the decreasing trend in COVID-19 fatalities, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions, as well as the high levels of SARS-CoV-2 immunity in the population.
Governing Bodies on COVID Remains in Place
The World Health Organization (WHO) still recommends following the Temporary Recommendations until further advice from the IHR Review Committee on the Standing Recommendations for long-term pandemic management.
Additionally, WHO regularly updates the progress of global vaccination efforts and the integration of COVID-19 surveillance into the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System.
Even though the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) has ended, WHO will maintain the authorization of Emergency Use Listed (EUL) procedures for vaccines and diagnostics. This enables countries to obtain vital COVID-19 vaccines and diagnostics as required.
WHO's Update on the COVID-19 Vaccine
So far, 13.3 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered worldwide.
The primary series of vaccinations, consisting of one or two doses per the recommended vaccine schedule, has been completed by 89% of health workers and 82% of adults over 60 years of age.
However, the vaccination coverage in these priority groups varies across different regions.
This is a significant milestone in the fight against COVID-19, and it is essential to continue the vaccine rollout to achieve herd immunity and reduce the spread of the virus.
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