'Last week, the number of weekly reported deaths from COVID-19 was the lowest since March 2020.'
The world has never been in a better position to end the COVID-19 pandemic, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said in a news briefing in Geneva on Wednesday.
"A marathon runner does not stop when the finish line comes into view; she runs harder with all the energy she has left," Tedros said. "So must we. 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 cross the line and reap the rewards of all our hard work."
WHO released six policy briefs Wednesday that outline key actions for governments to take to end the pandemic,. The briefs are based on the evidence and experience of the past 32 months and offer guidance on how to save lives, protect health systems and avoid social and economic disruption. They 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," Tedros said.
WHO's weekly epidemological update said Wednesday that there were just over 11,000 fatalities reported between Sept. 5 and 11, a 22% decrease compared with the week before.