World Health Organization (WHO) officials have announced that COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency, marking a symbolic end to the pandemic that killed millions of people worldwide and crippled the global economy.

WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, disclosed this in a statement on Friday May 5, 2023.

“Yesterday, the Emergency Committee met for the 15th time and recommended to me that I declare an end to the public health emergency of international concern. I’ve accepted that advice. It is therefore with great hope that I declare Covid-19 over as a global health emergency,” Ghebreyesus said.

He emphasized that “COVID-19 has changed our world and it has changed us,” while warning that the risk of new variants remains.

“The worst thing any country can do now is to use this news as a reason to let down its guard, to dismantle the systems it has built, or to send the message to its people that Covid-19 is nothing to worry about,” he said.

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The WHO boss further highlighted the damage that virus had done to the global community, saying the virus had shattered businesses and driven millions into poverty.

He praised the “incredible skill and selfless dedication of health and care workers” globally.

COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020, triggering lockdowns and travel restrictions across the world.

According to WHO’s Coronavirus Dashboard which has collated key statistics since early in the pandemic, the cumulative cases worldwide now stand at 765,222,932, with nearly seven million deaths: the precise figure currently stands at 6,921,614.

As of 30 April, a total of more than 13.3 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide.