WHO Ends COVID-19 Global Emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday that COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency.

Key Quotes: "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," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday. "I have accepted that advice." The advice to end the emergency declaration cited "the decreasing trend in COVID-19 deaths, the decline in COVID-19 related hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions, and the high levels of population immunity."

What It Means: According to the WHO, COVID-19 continues to spread but has trended downward for over a year as people worldwide built up immunity to the virus. The declaration's end is largely symbolic.

For Context: The organization declared COVID-19 a "public health emergency of international concern" in January 2020. The U.S.'s COVID-19 national public health emergency is set to expire next week.

How the Media Covered It: Right-rated sources covered the news less prominently than left- and center-rated sources did. CNN (Lean Left bias) quoted WHO officials who said "While we’re not in the crisis mode, we can’t let our guard down," and "there’s still a public health threat out there." Daily Mail (Right) said that "While the virus poses a minimal threat to the developed world, it remains a danger in other areas."