The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that Covid-19 no longer meets the criteria for a global emergency, marking a symbolic end to the pandemic that has devastated the world, disrupted economies, and killed at least seven million people worldwide. Although the pandemic has not completely ended, the UN health agency warns that cases in Southeast Asia and the Middle East are on the rise and thousands of people still die from the virus every week. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency, but it remains a global health threat due to the risk of new variants. The UN agency recommends that countries and leaders decide on how future health threats should be faced. Meanwhile, negotiations are ongoing for a pandemic treaty that outlines how future disease threats will be handled. The successful vaccination program in Ireland has played a vital role in preventing hospitalizations and deaths and enabling a return to normal social and economic life. Although some countries, including the UK, Germany, and France, have dropped many of their measures against the pandemic, the WHO has been critical of the world’s response to Covid-19, including its own handling of the crisis.
