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COVID-19 ‘far from over,’ world just in middle of pandemic: WHO

Friday, 18 March 2022 4:30 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 18 March 2022 4:30 PM ]

The photo, taken on March 17, 2022, shows staff members wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) working at the Fire Eye laboratory, a temporary COVID-19 coronavirus testing facility, before it opens in Yantai in China’s eastern province of Shandong. (By AFP)

A World Health Organization spokesperson said on Friday that the end of the COVID-19 pandemic was a long way off, citing a rise in cases in its latest weekly data.

The UN health agency has previously said that the acute phase of the pandemic could end this year but it would depend on how quickly we meet its target to vaccinate 70% of the population in each country, among other factors.

Asked by a journalist at a Geneva media briefing about the timing of the pandemic's end, Margaret Harris said it was "far from over".

"We are definitely in the middle of the pandemic," she added.

After more than a month of decline, COVID cases started to increase around the world last week, the WHO said, with lockdowns in Asia and China's Jilin province battling to contain an outbreak.

Millions locked down as China wrestles worst virus outbreak in two years

China has placed millions of people under lockdown to stem a surge in coronavirus infections.

A combination of factors was causing the increases, including the highly transmissible Omicron variant and its cousin the BA.2 sub-variant, and the lifting of public health and social measures, the WHO said.

(Source: Reuters)

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