WHO declares that COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency

Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency, the World Health Organization, WHO, indicated this Friday.

The WHO International Health Regulations Emergency discussed the issue of the pandemic at its meeting this Thursday, and subsequently the Director General of the organization. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus indicated that the health emergency must end.

"The pandemic has remained on a downward trend for more than a year" Tedros commented at a press conference on Friday.

This declaration represents an important step in the direction of ending the pandemic, and comes three years after the highest level of alert for the SARS-CoV-2 virus was declared.

Despite the good news, Tedros has also highlighted that the official figure for deaths related to Covid-19 is more than 20 million - almost three times the official estimate - and warned that the virus remains a significant threat.

"The worst thing any country could do is take this news as a reason to let its guard down, dismantle the systems it has built, or send the message to its population that Covid-19 is not something to worry about." pointed out