Key takeaways:
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the end of the COVID-19 pandemic as a global public health emergency.
- Though the pandemic is now over as a global health emergency, the virus is still a threat.
- The WHO has urged people to continue to practice safety measures such as wearing masks, social distancing, and washing hands, and to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the end of the COVID-19 pandemic as a global public health emergency. This marks a symbolic end to the devastating pandemic that has caused lockdowns, upended economies, and killed at least 7 million people worldwide.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “It’s with great hope that I declare COVID-19 over as a global health emergency. That does not mean COVID-19 is over as a global health threat.” He added that he would reconvene experts to reassess the situation should COVID-19 “put our world in peril.”
The WHO’s designation of a “public health emergency of international concern” is reserved for the most serious disease outbreaks. The decision to end the emergency was made following a recommendation from the WHO’s emergency committee, which met on Thursday for the 15th time.
Though the pandemic is now over as a global health emergency, the virus is still a threat. Thousands of people are still dying from the virus every week, and there have been over 200 million confirmed cases worldwide.
The WHO has urged people to continue to practice safety measures such as wearing masks, social distancing, and washing hands. Vaccines are now widely available in many countries, and the WHO has encouraged people to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Be First to Comment