GENEVA (AN) – The head of the World Health Organization took the advice of his expert advisers, agreeing to hold off on declaring the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
Despite his belief that the emergency situation needs to come to an end sometime this year, WHO's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on Monday that now is not the time to let up the pressure.
His decision, based on advice from WHO's Emergency Committee, which met in a closed videoconference on Friday. means the official declaration of a pandemic remains in place.
But a panel of advisers said the pandemic may be approaching an "inflection point" in which higher levels of immunity could reduce virus-related deaths.
WHO's Public Health Emergency of International Concern, or PHEIC, the highest level of alert that the U.N. health agency can issue, is now entering its fourth year.
"COVID-19 remains a dangerous infectious disease with the capacity to cause substantial damage to health and health systems," Tedros said of the committee's report to him.
"The committee acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic may be approaching an inflection point," the panel said.
This article is for subscribers only
Get started for freeNo credit card required. Already have an account? Log in