GENEVA (AP) — The number of new coronavirus cases rose 18 last week, with more than 4. 1 million cases reported worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
The United Nations fitness firm said in its latest weekly report on the pandemic that the number of international deaths remained similar to last week, at around 8,500. COVID-related deaths have more in 3 regions: middle east, southeast asia, and the Americas.
The largest weekly backlog of new COVID-19 cases was recorded in the Middle East, where they rose 47%, according to the report released Late Wednesday. in the Americas, the WHO said.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said cases were on the rise in 110 countries, mainly due to the omicron variants BA. 4 and BA. 5.
“This pandemic is changing, but it’s not over yet,” Tedros said this week at a news conference. He said the ability to track the genetic evolution of COVID-19 “is under threat” as countries facilitate surveillance and genetic sequencing efforts, a precaution that would be more complicated to detect new emerging and potentially harmful variants.
He called on countries to immunize their most vulnerable populations, adding fitness staff and others over the age of 60, saying many millions of people are still unvaccinated and at risk of contracting a serious illness and dying.
Tedros said that while more than 1200 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered worldwide, the average vaccination rate in countries with deficiency is around 13%.
“If rich countries vaccinate children from 6 months of age and plan to do more vaccination cycles, it is incomprehensible to recommend that low-income countries not vaccinate and encourage their (people) at risk to the maximum,” he said.
According to figures compiled through Oxfam and the People’s Alliance for Vaccination, less than a fraction of the 2. 1 billion vaccines pledged to poorer countries across major Group of Seven economies have been delivered.
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