Covid-19 is no more a global health emergency, WHO declares

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday declared that Covid-19 is no more a global health emergency.

In a press conference, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also warned that this does not mean Covid-19 is over as a global health threat. He further said the contagious virus claimed a life every three minutes last week.

Ghebreyesus revealed that thousands of people around the world are still fighting for their lives in intensive care units and millions more continue to live with debilitating effects of post-covid condition.

The WHO further said the deadly virus is here to stay and is still killing and changing. Moreover, the risk of new variants can cause new surges in cases and deaths.

The WHO also warned countries and urged them not to let down their guards and continue to practice Covid-19 necessary precautions. It said its time for the countries to transition to managing mode and not emergency mode.

Earlier this week, WHO published the 4th edition of the Global Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan for Covid-19 outlining critical actions for countries in five crore areas— collaborative surveillance, community protection, safe and scalable care, access to countermeasures, and emergency coordination.

The coronavirus pandemic outbreak took place in Wuhan, China and gradually spread across the globe claiming the lives of millions of people.