The World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday he is "hopeful" that the Covid-19 pandemic will no longer be considered a global emergency some time next year.
His comments at a briefing with media come as China dismantles its rigid "zero-Covid" policy and allows people to live with the virus, stirring concerns the world's No.2 economy faces a surge in infections.
A WHO body meets every few months to decide whether the new coronavirus, which emerged three years ago in China's Wuhan and has killed more than 6.6 million people, still represents a "public health emergency of international concern" (PHEIC).
The designation is intended to trigger a coordinated international response and could unlock funding to collaborate on sharing vaccines and treatments.
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