WHO: We are far from pandemic ending

The coronavirus pandemic is far from over. There is a significant increase in the number of infections in many European countries, Report says, referring to a joint release of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) and WHO.

“We are far from out of the woods in terms of the pandemic ending, and sadly, in many countries in our region, we see a significant rise in cases associated with the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant. Despite tremendous efforts by the Member States to vaccinate people across the region, millions more remain unvaccinated and, therefore, at risk of ending up in hospital.

Dr. Andrea Ammon, ECDC Director, said, “We need to remain vigilant and continue to use common sense to prevent the spread of the virus. It means getting a full course of vaccination as soon as the opportunity arises and maintaining physical distancing, washing hands, avoiding crowded spaces, and wearing a mask when necessary. These are measures that we know work to protect ourselves and others.

“We should think of these as ‘anti-lockdown measures’ because they can help prevent the spread of disease without having to shut down large parts of society.”

WHO and ECDC urge priority groups, such as older people, people with chronic diseases, and healthcare workers, to receive a complete COVID-19 vaccine course to protect themselves and the vulnerable people they encounter from severe disease.