WHO announces the end of the new corona "Emergency Declaration"

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

WHO 新型コロナ「緊急事態宣言」終了を発表

2023年5月5日 23時37分

WHO＝世界保健機関のテドロス事務局長は、5日、新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大を受けて出している「国際的に懸念される公衆衛生上の緊急事態」の宣言を終了すると発表しました。

これは、5日の会見でWHOのテドロス事務局長が明らかにしました。

WHOは新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大を受けて、2020年1月、「国際的に懸念される公衆衛生上の緊急事態」を宣言し、これを受けて各国は感染対策やワクチン接種などの対応を強化してきました。

WHOは、4日、専門家による委員会を開き、この宣言を解除できるか検討しました。

テドロス事務局長は死亡率が低下し、医療システムへの負担が減少するなど、多くの国で生活が通常に戻っていると指摘した上で委員会はこうした現状を踏まえて宣言の終了を勧告したということです。

これを受けて、テドロス事務局長は会見で「勧告を受け入れ、緊急事態の終了を宣言する」と述べました。

一方で、「これは新型コロナがもう世界的な脅威ではないという意味ではない。ウイルスは命を奪い続けている」と強調しました。

そのうえで、「各国は緊急態勢から、新型コロナを他の感染症と同様に管理するように移行する時期が来た」と述べ、警戒を解かないよう、呼びかけました。

3年前の1月からおよそ3年3か月にわたって出されていた緊急事態宣言の終了が決まり、世界の新型コロナ対策は大きな節目を迎えたことになります。

政府分科会 尾身会長「判断は適切 ただ終息した訳ではない」

WHO＝世界保健機関が「国際的に懸念される公衆衛生上の緊急事態」の宣言を終了すると発表したことについて、政府分科会の尾身茂会長は「世界的に感染者数が少しずつ減り、直近では亡くなる人の数も減って医療の負荷が軽減されてきている。日本でも感染症法上の位置づけを『5類』に移行する対応をとる中でもあり、WHOの判断は適切なのではないか」と述べました。

その上で「ただ、これで新型コロナの感染が終わった、終息したという訳ではない。今後、感染が低いレベルに向かっていくことを期待したいが、これからも感染者数が急増し、医療がひっ迫する事態になってしまうこともあり得る。市民自身が個人の判断で、いままでの経験を元に感染リスクの高い行動を控えめにするなどの対応をとることが、これまでと変わらず有効な対策になると思う」と指摘しました。

Translation

WHO = World Health Organization Director-General Tedros announced on the 5th that the declaration of a "public health emergency of international concern" due to the spread of the new coronavirus came to an end.

This was announced by WHO Director-General Tedros at a press conference on May 5.

In response to the spread of the new coronavirus, the WHO declared a "public health emergency of international concern" in January 2020, and in response, all countries strengthened measures they had taken, such as infection control and vaccination.

WHO held a committee of experts on the 4th to consider whether this declaration could be lifted.

Director-General Tedros said life had returned to normal in many countries, with mortality rates falling and strains on health care systems easing, and based on these circumstances, the committee recommended that the declaration be terminated.

In response to this, Director-General Tedros said at a press conference, ``I accept the recommendations and declare the end of the emergency.''

On the other hand, he stressed that he "doesn't mean Covid-19 is no longer a global threat. The virus continues to take lives."

Moreover, he said, ``The time has come for each country to transition from an emergency to manage the new corona like other infectious diseases,'' and called for caution and not to let your guard down.

The decision to end the state of emergency, which had been in effect for three years and three months since January three years ago, marked a major milestone for the world's countermeasures against the novel coronavirus.

Government Subcommittee Chairman Omi -"The judgment is appropriate, but it is not the end"

Regarding WHO = the World Health Organization announcement of ending the declaration of a `` public health emergency of international concern '', Shigeru Omi, chairman of the government subcommittee, said, ``The number of infected people is gradually decreasing worldwide. Recently, the number of people who have died has decreased, and the burden on medical care has been reduced. Japan is also taking steps to shift the status of infectious diseases to "Category 5" under the Infectious Diseases Law, so the WHO's decision may be appropriate. '

On top of that, he pointed out that, "However, while this is the end of the new corona virus, it doesn't mean it's over. I hope that in future it will become a low level infection, the number of infected people will continue to increase rapidly, and this may end up in a medical emergency. It is still effective for citizens themselves to make their own judgments and take measures such as refraining from actions that pose a high risk of infection based on past experiences. I think that this will be an effective countermeasure as before." he said.

              So, the World Health Organization announces that the spread of the new coronavirus has come to the end as a "public health emergency of international concern". I agree with the comments of Shigeru Omi that this does not mean the impact of the new corona infection is over.

Note:

Shigeru Omi (born June 11, 1949) is the President of the Japan Community Health Care Organization. He previously served as Regional Director of the Western Pacific Regional Office for the World Health Organization. He has been a member of the World Health Organization Executive Board since 2013. (Wikipedia)