New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in October that the country would phase out its pursuit of zero coronavirus cases and instead manage the spread of the virus through vaccinations and “everyday public health measures” to keep residents safe. Taiwan and Singapore have kept their outbreaks far smaller than those in other parts of the world, which some experts attribute to their early responses and sophisticated tracking and tracing.īut maintaining these “zero-covid” policies for almost two years has proved difficult. New Zealand, which closed its borders and ordered people to stay home as a first wave hit in the spring of 2020, confirmed that infections dropped to zero for a time.
Some countries have shown success at controlling the virus - at a price. Scientists warned that the variant, also known as B.1.1.529, could spread faster than delta and evade the antibodies created by vaccination and prior infection, although its broader impact remains unclear. Jump to metric:Ĭases of a new variant, omicron, were detected in southern Africa in November, and it soon spread rapidly around the world. “Ending the acute phase of the pandemic must remain our collective priority.”
“Although we have made great progress and have many reasons for optimism, the perception that the pandemic is over is understandable but misguided,” World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a speech this month. Variants such as delta and omicron have already changed the calculus several times over. For more free stories, sign up for our Coronavirus Updates newsletter.Ĭovid-19 has killed more than 6 million people and infected more than half a billion since it first emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.ĭespite the rollout of vaccines and the relaxation of strict measures in some parts of the world, global health experts warn that the pandemic is set to continue, with no end in sight. The Washington Post is providing this story for free so that all readers have access to this important information about the coronavirus.
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