COVID-19 ‘here to stay,’ but emergency phase is easing, WHO says

The virus causing COVID-19 is here to stay but the world is beginning to transition out of the emergency phase of the pandemic, the World Health Organization’s chief said on Wednesday.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a briefing that the UN agency will publish a guide for countries next week on how to move from an emergency response to the long-term management of COVID-19.

“We remain hopeful that sometime this year, we will be able to declare an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern,” said Tedros.

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“But this virus is here to stay and all countries will need to learn to manage it alongside other infectious diseases.”

0:31 How will millions of COVID-19 vaccines that are set to expire be used?

— Reporting by Jennifer Rigby and Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber. Editing by Jane Merriman