The WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, made the statement with great hope, but also emphasised that COVID-19 remains a global health threat.
Last year in May, WHO experts had stated that the end of the pandemic was in sight, and had published policy briefs for governments to follow on infection control, testing, vaccination, and misinformation. However, the recent announcement by the WHO does not suggest that the pandemic is over, but rather that it is no longer classified as a global health emergency.
The pandemic was declared on March 11, 2020, which resulted in widespread lockdowns and travel restrictions around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption to the lives of millions of people, with several countries experiencing a significant loss of life and severe economic impact.
Last month, the NHS COVID app was switched off, and it will be discontinued entirely on May 16th. The app was initially launched in September 2020 and had been used by millions of people in England and Wales to help trace and control the spread of the virus.
