The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that Covid-19 is no longer a “global health emergency”.
This declaration marks a significant milestone in efforts to combat the pandemic, coming three years after the WHO declared the virus to be at its highest level of alert.
According to officials, the Covid-19 death rate has fallen from a peak of over 100,000 people per week in January 2021 to just over 3,500 on April 24.
However, the head of the WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, cautioned that the virus remains a significant threat and that the true number of deaths from Covid-19 is likely closer to 20 million, three times the official estimate.
Dr Tedros emphasized that the removal of the highest level of alert does not mean the danger has passed and that countries should not let down their guard. It will now be up to individual countries to manage Covid-19 as they see fit.
While vaccines have been a major turning point in the fight against Covid-19, with 13 billion doses administered, many people around the world still lack access to them.
With over 765 million confirmed Covid-19 infections recorded worldwide, experts warn that the threat of transmission remains, and the pandemic may not truly end until the next one begins.
Source: BBC