The WHO said weekly deaths from the virus worldwide are at their lowest level since March 2020 – the month the UK first went into lockdown. The director-general of the international health organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told a press conference: “Last week, the number of weekly deaths reported from Covid-19 was the lowest since March 2020. We can see the finish line, we are in a position to win. But now is the worst time to stop running Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus “We’ve never been better placed to end the pandemic – we’re not there yet, but the end is in sight. “A marathon runner doesn’t stop when the finish line appears, she runs harder, with whatever energy she has left. So should we. “We can see the finish line, we are in a position to win. 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. “If we don’t seize this opportunity now, we risk more variation, more death, more disruption and more uncertainty. So let’s take this opportunity. “Today, the WHO is publishing six short policy indications that outline the key actions that all governments must take now to finish the fight. “We can end this pandemic together, but only if all countries, manufacturers, communities and individuals step up and seize this opportunity.” The documents include guidance on testing, vaccination, best practices for disease management, maintaining infection control measures in health facilities, preventing the spread of misinformation, and community involvement. One of the papers says: “With access to and appropriate use of existing life-saving tools, Covid-19 can become a manageable disease with significantly reduced morbidity and mortality.” The WHO has estimated that 19.8 million deaths have been averted in 2021 thanks to Covid-19 vaccines and 12 billion doses have been administered worldwide. Dr Tedros Adhanom (Alamy/PA) However, he warned that the virus was still an “acute global emergency” and stressed that in the first eight months of 2022 more than one million people had died from Covid-19. “Viral transmission continues to be robust,” the document said. “Recurrent waves of disease and the emergence of new variants continue to present risks and challenges.” It comes as UK officials confirmed there are no plans for people to be able to buy private Covid-19 jabs. The flu vaccine is offered annually to people in high-risk groups, while those outside these groups can purchase the vaccine privately if they wish. But the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed to GP Pulse magazine that there are no plans to replicate this program with a Covid vaccine, with supplies only through the NHS. Covid-19 infections in the UK have fallen to their lowest level in almost 11 months. A total of 944,700 people in private households are estimated to have had coronavirus in the week to August 28, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is the lowest total across the UK since the week to 2 October 2021, when the figure was 942,600. Infections reached 3.8 million in early July this year during the spread of the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, but have been on a generally downward trend in recent weeks. Nationally, infections continue to fall in England and Wales, while the trend is uncertain in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the ONS said. At the end of August the Covid-19 alert level in the UK was downgraded from level three to level two. A level two alert means that Covid-19 is “in general circulation, but the immediate health care pressures and transmission of Covid-19 are decreasing or stabilizing.” In the week ending September 2, there were 8,868 deaths in England and Wales and 314 reported “novel coronavirus (Covid-19)”, accounting for 3.5% of deaths, according to the ONS.
