January 31, 2023

Following the World Health Organization' (WHO) Monday decision to still treat the COVID-19 pandemic as a global health emergency, some senior Chinese public health experts said it was a cautious decision considering the imbalance between countries in immunity, medicine and therapy as well as potential risks of more infection waves. While some countries such as Japan and the US are planning to end or downgrade their emergency status or epidemic management in the coming months, experts warned that the conditions for dropping the guard against the disease are still immature. 

COVID-19 remains a public emergency of international concern (PHEIC), the highest level of alert that the UN health body can give. However, the COVID-19 is probably at a transition point, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday at the health body's annual executive board meeting. 

The WHO's International Health Regulations Emergency Committee held its 14th meeting regarding the COVID-19 pandemic on Friday, after which WHO Director-General Tedros determined that the event continues to constitute a PHEIC, according to its website.

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