The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the Covid-19 pandemic remains a global emergency on Wednesday. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu said, "This pandemic has surprised us before and very well may again."
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The statement comes amid new sub-variants sparking concern in some parts of the world, a month after Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said that the end of the pandemic is "in sight".
The global health body's committee highlighted five priority areas to end the emergency which include tracking variants of Covid, surging medical capacity to treat patients, vaccination, ensuring access to affordable therapeutics and a robust global pandemic preparedness architecture.
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“Although the public perception is that the pandemic is over in some parts of the world, it remains a public health event that continues to adversely and strongly affect the health of the world's population," WHO warned.
{{/usCountry}}“Although the public perception is that the pandemic is over in some parts of the world, it remains a public health event that continues to adversely and strongly affect the health of the world's population," WHO warned.
{{/usCountry}}India recorded a single day rise of 2,141 Covid cases on Thursday, taking the tally to 4,46,36,517, while active cases declined to 25,510, the health ministry informed. The death toll climbed to 5,28,943 with 20 related- fatalities on the same day.