COVID no longer a global health emergency, WHO says
Al JazeeraUN health agency declares end to public health emergency of international concern, in place for more than three years. COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a “global health emergency”, the World Health Organization says. “Yesterday, the Emergency Committee met for the 15th time and recommended to me that I declare an end to the public health emergency of international concern,” WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. It’s, therefore, with great hope that I declare COVID-19 over as a global health emergency.” The WHO said that even though the emergency phase was over, the pandemic declared in March 2020 has not come to an end, noting recent spikes in cases in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. “That does not mean COVID-19 is over as a global health threat,” Tedros said, adding he would not hesitate to reconvene experts to reassess the situation should the coronavirus “put our world in peril”.