Globally, the number of new weekly deaths fell by 22 percent in the week of Sept. 5-11 compared with the previous week, with just under 11,000 deaths reported, according to WHO data.
Read more: Global cases of COVID, monkeypox on the decline, but WHO warns against complacency
The number of new weekly cases also fell by 28 percent last week, with more than 3.1 million new cases reported. While the WHO warns that these case numbers are “underestimated” due to many countries’ testing strategies leading to lower overall detections, the current downward trends give cause for optimism. Story continues below ad “We have never been in a better position to end the pandemic. We’re not there yet, but the end is in sight,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday during a briefing in Geneva. However, now is not the time for countries to let their guard down, Tedros warned. “A marathon runner doesn’t stop when the finish line appears. She runs harder with what energy she has left. We must do the same,” he said. “We can see the finish line. We are in a winning position. But now is the worst time to stop running.” “Now is the time to run harder and make sure we push the limits and reap the rewards of all our hard work.”
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While cases have been declining across the country in recent weeks, the virus continues to infect and kill Canadians. The latest available data from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) shows that there were 18,366 new cases of COVID-19 in Canada during the week of August 28 to September 3 and 238 new deaths. That represents a 12 percent drop in new cases and a nine percent drop in deaths from the previous week in Canada. Story continues below ad Meanwhile, this week the UN agency is publishing six policy briefs outlining key actions it believes all governments should take to further reduce the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide and bring an end to the pandemic. Related News
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These briefings are an “urgent call to governments to scrutinize their policies and strengthen them” not only to combat COVID-19, but also to protect against future pathogens with pandemic potential, Tedros said.
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The advice includes calls for countries to invest in vaccinating 100 percent of those most at risk of serious illness or death, including health workers and the elderly, and to strive for 70 percent vaccine coverage for the overall population. It also calls for continued testing and sequencing for SARS-CoV-2 and more comprehensive surveillance and testing services for other respiratory diseases, including influenza. WHO also urges countries to continue to plan for future increases in cases and maintain infection prevention and control measures to protect health care workers and non-COVID patients in health facilities. And while case numbers are falling, countries will continue to face waves of COVID-19 infections as the virus continues to mutate and find new ways to evade immunity, said Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, infectious disease epidemiologist and WHO technical lead for COVID-19. Story continues below ad 4:22 Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines likely to begin replacing current boosters: Peterborough Public Health Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines likely to begin replacing current boosters: Peterborough Public Health “But these future waves of infection don’t have to translate into future waves of death, because we have tools that can prevent infections and prevent transmissions,” he said, pointing to COVID-19 vaccines and antivirals like Paxlovid, the which prevent serious illness and death. Tedros pledged that WHO will continue to work to provide tools, information and support as the virus continues to circulate, including helping low-income countries access and manufacture vaccines and bringing the world’s experts together to share the latest scientific knowledge, monitor trends, analyze data and advise the world. “This is what we will continue to do until the pandemic is truly over,” Tedros said. Related News © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
