A | Geneva, Oct 20 (UNI) The World Health Organization (WHO) said that Covid-19 is still a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the WHO's highest alert level.
The announcement came although the number of weekly deaths is almost at its lowest level since the pandemic began.
The WHO's International Health Regulations Emergency Committee said on Wednesday after its quarterly assessment meeting last week that despite a decline in severe cases of Covid-19, and the falling number of weekly deaths, deaths from Covid-19 nevertheless remain high compared with other respiratory viruses.
It also warned of Covid-19-related complications and post-Covid-19 conditions, with the full impact of these still not completely understood. The outbreak could also evolve during the upcoming winter season in the Northern Hemisphere, the committee said.
Meanwhile, the current gaps in global surveillance of Covid-19 have hindered early identification and evaluation of the virus' evolution. With the virus expected to continue evolving, the committee said that the genetic and antigenic characteristics of future variants cannot yet be reliably predicted. Evolving variants may pose challenges to current vaccines and therapeutics, the committee warned.
"Given the above considerations, the committee concurred that continued coordination of the international response is necessary," and considered that "the situation remains dynamic and requires frequent reassessments, and that the termination of the PHEIC, when considered feasible, should be implemented as safely as possible."
The committee recommended that there should be three key priorities in the future: strengthening surveillance and achieving vaccination targets for at risk-groups; continuing to increase access to affordable therapeutics; and strengthening pandemic preparedness planning, while continuing to protect the most at-risk groups.
UNI/XINHUA PRT。 (ECNS) -- More than 2,000 fabric suppliers joined the 2026 Global Home Textile Eco-Fashion Exhibition & Shaoxing Keqiao China Textile City Curtain Fabric Exhibition, which opened Wednesday in Keqiao, Zhejiang Province. China Textile City, the world's largest textile distribution hub, handles about a quarter of global fabric trade annually. This year's expo adopted a dual-venue format, with the Beilian Market serving as a core exhibition area. Exhibitors showcased new curtain products and technologies, including AI-powered design tools that generate realistic home décor renderings from photos. The three-day exhibition covers an area of 250,000 square meters and displays a wide range of home textile products, including curtains, wall coverings, kitchen and bathroom fabrics. Huang Jinwang, an exhibitor from Pujiang, Jinhua, who has been in the sofa cushion business for over 20 years, has pivoted to the pet pad market in the past two years. He said this is his company's third time exhibiting in Keqiao, with exports now accounting for over 60% of sales. "With the growing number of pet lovers at home and abroad, we have brought hundreds of pet pad designs in the hope of expanding into new markets at this expo." (By Tang Yuxian) 
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Published on:10:59:02