The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that COVID-19 continues to constitute a public health emergency of international concern, its highest form of alert.
The pandemic was likely in a “transition point” that continues to need careful management to “mitigate the potential negative consequences”, the agency added in a statement.
It is three years since the WHO first declared that COVID represented a global health emergency. More than 6.8 million people have died during the outbreak, which has touched every country on Earth, ravaging communities and economies.
However, the advent of vaccines and treatments has changed the pandemic situation considerably since 2020, and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said he hopes to see an end to the emergency this year, particularly if access to the counter-measures can be improved globally.
“We remain hopeful that in the coming year, the world will transition to a new phase in which we reduce (COVID) hospitalisations and deaths to their lowest possible level,” Tedros told a separate WHO meeting on Monday.
Advisers to the WHO expert committee on the pandemic’s status told Reuters in December that it was likely not the moment to end the emergency given the uncertainty over the wave of infections in China after it lifted its strict zero-COVID measures at the end of 2022.
In response to the WHO’s determination Monday, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said in a statement that the Canadian government will continue to work with the UN agency, international partners and provinces and territories “to monitor the COVID-19 situation and to determine the best course of action to limit the spread of the virus and mitigate health and societal impacts.” “PHAC will continue to provide regular public updates as new information becomes available,” the statement read.
The agency added the government continues to assess the global epidemiology of COVID-19 and is monitoring variants of concern. “As COVID-19 activity continues and hospitalizations remain elevated in Canada, layers of prevention, including keeping up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations and personal protective practices remain our best approach to reduce the risk of developing severe illness and limit the burden on the health system,” PHAC said.
“PHAC will continue to provide regular public updates as new information becomes available,” the statement read.
PHAC added the government continues to assess the global epidemiology of COVID-19 and is monitoring variants of concern.
“As COVID-19 activity continues and hospitalizations remain elevated in Canada, layers of prevention, including keeping up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations and personal protective practices remain our best approach to reduce the risk of developing severe illness and limit the burden on the health system,” it said.
With files from Global News