WHO to issue decision on end of Covidd-19 pendamic

The World Health Organization (WHO) has started talking about lowering the level of alert for COVID-19 during the 14th emergency meeting since the outbreak began.

Every three months, the panel meets to discuss the crisis and brief WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

According to WHO sources, no decision will be made before Monday.

The WHO has declared the COVID-19 pandemic a “public health emergency of international concern,” the organization’s highest level of alert.

Last month, top German virologist Christian Drosten declared that “the pandemic has ended” and that the virus had become “endemic,” with infection rates not significantly increasing or decreasing.

However, prior to the Friday meeting, WHO chief Tedros noted that over 170,000 COVID-19 deaths had been reported in recent weeks.

“The true figure is almost certainly much higher,” he said.

Although the weekly death rate fell below 10,000 in October, it has been rising since December due to new outbreaks of infections in China.

“The global response remains hobbled because in too many countries, these powerful, life-saving tools are still not getting to the populations that need them most — especially older people and health workers,” Tedros said.