WHO announces that the Covid ‘public health emergency’ is finally over – but with caveats

THE Covid-19 pandemic is officially finally over, according to the World Health Organisation.

The director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, made the announcement after the fifteenth meeting of the Emergency Committee, which recommended ending the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). 

During the meeting on Thursday, the committee highlighted the decreasing trend in deaths and hospitalisations from Covid.

They also pointed out the high levels of population immunity against SARS-CoV-2 as reasons for ending the PHEIC.

The previous meeting of the committee in January had concluded that it was still not the moment to officially end the pandemic.

However, Tedros said he would not hesitate to declare another emergency if the situation changed.

Vaccines and other treatments have eliminated the risk the virus posed a few years ago, he added. 

Tedros also warned that despite the declaration of the end of the health emergency this year, the virus would remain a threat to global health.

Despite the WHO’s pronouncement, there are still around 500 deaths per day from Covid worldwide.

This adds up to more than 200,000 deaths per year, according to reported cases, while the actual number may be higher.

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