After China began to record record numbers of coronavirus infections, and the number of cases also began to rise in Britain after declining for months, WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that gaps in coronavirus detection tests and the pace of vaccination against it continue to create conditions for the emergence of an alarming new mutant that may cause many deaths.

"We are very close to being able to say that the pandemic-related emergency phase is over, but we have not yet reached our goal of eliminating the pandemic,"Tedros warned.

Who estimates that about 90 percent of the world's population has a varying level of immunity to covid-19, either due to a previous infection or as a result of receiving the vaccine

The easing of the requirement for covid-19 testing and quarantine rules in some Chinese cities was met with a mixture of relief and concern, as hundreds of millions await a shift in national policies on the virus after the spread of social unrest.

"While covid-19 and influenza can be a mild infection for many, we must not forget that they can cause severe illness or even death for the most vulnerable individuals in our communities,"said Mary Ramsay, director of the public health program at the British Health Security Agency.

Who called on governments to focus on reaching those who are at risk, such as those over the age of sixty and those with disease problems, in order to vaccinate them.