WHO Declares COVID-19 Global Health Emergency Over

Geneva, MINA – The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday announced that the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer a global health emergency.

“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. I have accepted the advice,” WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus told a news conference as quoted by the Middle East Monitor.

“Therefore, it is with great hope that I declare COVID-19 to end as a global health emergency,” said Ghebreyesus.

However, said Ghebreyesus, that does not mean that COVID-19 will end as a global health threat.

“This virus will still exist. It is still killing, and it is still changing. The risk remains that new variants will emerge which will cause a spike in cases and new deaths,” he stressed.

However, Ghebreyesus warned, countries should not use this news as an excuse to let their guard down, dismantle the system that was built.

He explained, this declaration means that it is time for countries to switch from emergency mode to handling COVID-19 along with other infectious diseases.

Since the pandemic started in December 2019, COVID-19 infections have caused nearly 7 million deaths, according to WHO.

Then, the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a public health emergency of international concern on January 30 2020. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)