Covid global health emergency is over, WHO says

A huge wave of infections hit countries around the world in 2020 (Reuters)

BBC - TheWorld Health Organization “Yesterday, the Emergency Committee met (WHO) has declared that Covid-19 no for the 15th time and recommended to me that I longer represents a “global health declareanendtothepublichealthemergencyof emergency”. internationalconcern.I’veacceptedthatadvice.

The statement represents a major step It is therefore with great hope that I declare towards ending the pandemic and comes Covid-19overasaglobalhealthemergency,”Dr three years after it first declaredits highest Tedrossaid. levelofalertoverthevirus. He added that the decision had been

Officials said the virus’death rate had consideredcarefullyforsometimeandmadeon droppedfromapeakofmorethan100,000 thebasisofcarefulanalysisofdata. people per week in January 2021 to just over3,500on24April. But he warned the removal of the highest

The head of the WHO said at least level of alert did not mean the danger was over sevenmillionpeoplediedinthepandemic. and said the emergency status could be ‘Great hope’ reinstatedifthesituationchanged.

But Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus “The worst thing any country can do now is saidthatthetruefigurewas“likely”closer tousethisnewsasareasontoletdownitsguard, to20milliondeaths-nearlythreetimesthe to dismantle the systems it has built, or to send official estimate - and he warned that the themessagetoitspeoplethatCovid-19is virusremainedasignificantthreat.

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