Geneva: ‘We can see the finish line. But now is the worst time to stop running. Now is the time to run harder and make sure we cross the line and reap the rewards of all our hard work.’, said WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference in Geneva hinting that the end of the covid pandemic is near.

At the same time, he reminded us that this is not the time to reduce preventive measures.

‘A marathon runner does not stop running when the finish line is in sight. He runs harder with all his remaining energy. '

If we don't take this opportunity now, we run the risk of more variants, more deaths, more disruption, and more uncertainty. So let's seize this opportunity, he continued.

Tedros Adhanom's words indicated that there has not been such a better situation globally in the fight against Covid. The WHO reported a 28% drop in new cases for the week ending September 11 compared to the previous week. The number of new weekly deaths fell by 22% to less than 11,000.

The global daily death toll on September 5 was 11,118. This is the lowest level since March 2020.

At the same time, Tedros Adhanom said that these figures should not be underestimated and that many countries have reduced the number of tests.

A WHO study recently revealed that at least 17 million people died from Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021.

In March 2020, WHO declared Covid as a global pandemic. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also proposed six guidelines to control the spread of the disease. The most important thing is to ensure 100 % vaccination.

It's a summary, based on the evidence and experience of the last 32 months, of what works best to save lives, protect health systems, and avoid social and economic disruption.

These policy briefs are an urgent call for governments to take a hard look at their policies and strengthen them for COVID-19 and future pathogens with pandemic potential.