London, United Kingdom β Over three years of the pandemic, today, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the end of the global emergency status for COVID-19 on Friday, May 5, after its original declaration, and said countries should now manage the virus and kill more than 6.9 million people along with other diseases that infected many people around the world.
The global health agency’s Emergency Committee met on Thursday and recommended the UN organization declare an end to the coronavirus crisis as a “public health emergency of international concern” – its highest level of alert – which has been in place since January 30, 2020.
“It is therefore with great hope that I declare COVID-19 over as a global health emergency,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, adding that the end of the emergency did not mean COVID was over as a global health threat.
Some members of the WHO became emotional during a lengthy conference call while urging people around the world to reflect on the lesson they learned during the time of the pandemic.
“We can’t forget those fire pyres. We can’t forget the graves that were dug. None of us up here will forget them,” said WHO’s technical lead on COVID-19 Maria Van Kerkhove.
The COVID-19 death rate has slowed from a peak of more than 100,000 people per week in January 2021 to just over 3,500 in the week to April 24, 2023, according toΒ WHO data, reflecting widespread vaccination, availability of better treatments, and a level of population immunity from prior infections.
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Jason Jeth Newshub 