NEW DELHI: The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that the number of COVID-19 cases recorded worldwide have fallen by almost 16 per cent last week to 2.7 million. It added that the number of deaths reported has also come down almost 10 per cent to 81,000.
Five of the six WHO regions have recorded a double-digit percentage dip in the new cases except eastern Mediterranean which showed a decline of seven per cent. Cases declined by 20 per cent last week in Africa and Western Pacific, 18 per cent in Europe, 16 per cent in American region and 13 per cent in south-east Asia. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO, said that decline in new cases shows that simple public health measures work despite the presence of different strains. He added that we have to respond sensibly to this trend of decline as the infection has not ended till now.
WHO on Monday, February 15, approved the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine which is manufactured in India and South Korea which means that it can now be shipped via Covax and can provide COVID-19 vaccine to various countries.