The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that COVID-19 is no longer considered a global health emergency. Following the 15th meeting of WHO’s International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Thursday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus agreed that the declaration of a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) should be terminated.
Tedros noted that the pandemic has been in decline for over a year, allowing most nations to resume pre-pandemic life. “Based on the recommendations of the emergency committee, I have decided to declare an end to the public health emergency of international concern,” Tedros said.
The coronavirus outbreak was first declared a PHEIC in January 2020, approximately six weeks before it was characterized as a pandemic. This designation required countries to follow WHO’s guidelines for handling the crisis, with each nation declaring its own public health emergency, which carried legal implications.
The United States is expected to conclude its COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11. Since the beginning of the pandemic, WHO data indicates there have been over 765 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and nearly 7 million deaths worldwide. Europe has experienced the highest number of cases, while the Americas have had the most fatalities. About one in six deaths occurred in the US.
COVID-19 cases reached their peak in December 2022 due to the Omicron variant, which severely impacted the Western Pacific region. However, the widespread administration of vaccines has helped keep death rates below previous highs.
Currently, COVID-19 cases and fatalities are at their lowest in three years, but challenges remain. Over 3,500 people succumbed to the virus in the last week of April, and billions still await vaccination.
Q&A Section:
Question: When did the WHO declare an end to the COVID-19 global health emergency?
Answer: The WHO declared an end to the COVID-19 global health emergency on Friday, following the 15th meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee.
Question: How many confirmed COVID-19 cases have there been worldwide?
Answer: There have been over 765 million confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide since the beginning of the pandemic, according to WHO data.
