Cases and deaths due to COVID-19 are on the rise globally, largely driven by the highly contagious Delta variant, which has now spread to 132 countries, stated the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus.

Around 4 million cases were reported last week to WHO and it is expected that the total number of infections globally will cross 200 million in the coming two weeks. The WHO chief said that the figure is an underestimate.

Executive Director of WHO Health Emergencies, Dr. Michael Ryan, stated that in spite of the virus getting faster and fitter, the game plan remains the same. However, it needs to be implemented more efficiently. He added that the Delta variant cautions that the virus is evolving, but also prompts action before the emergence of more dangerous variants… (UN, July 30, 2021)