'Second Year Of Covid Pandemic To Be Far More Deadly Than The First': WHO

"India remains hugely concerning, with several states continuing to see a worrying number of cases, hospitalisations and deaths," he said at the daily media briefing.

New Delhi: On Friday, the World Health Organization warned that the second year of the pandemic is likely to be far more deadlier than the first one. WHO said that it was the only way to ensure that the protection from the deadly virus and emphasized on the need for 'equitable vaccine'.

"We're on track for the second year of this pandemic to be far more deadly than the first," said the World Health Organization's director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

WHO extends help to India

Ghebreyesus added that the WHO is responding to the COVID-19 surge in India and has shipped thousands of oxygen concentrators, tents for mobile field hospitals, masks and other medical supplies.
"India remains hugely concerning, with several states continuing to see a worrying number of cases, hospitalisations and deaths," he said at the daily media briefing.

"And we thank all the stakeholders who are supporting India," the WHO Director-General said.

On Friday, India reported at least 4,000 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry whereas the case load remained over 3 lakhs at 3,43,144 new Covid cases were reported. 

He talked about how vaccine supply remains a key challenge and that saving lives and livelihoods with a combination of public health measures and vaccination - not one or the other - is the only way out of the pandemic.

Sputnik V Vaccines in India

The centre informed that the Russian vaccine Sputnik V will be available in the market from next week and the price of the vaccine has been revealed by the manufacturer. Dr Reddy's Laboratories, which is manufacturing the Sputnik V vaccine in India, said, Imported coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine produced by Russia, Sputnik V, will cost ₹995.40 per dose in India while the price of vaccines produced in the country may be lower. 

Countries around the world & Covid

In Japan, a state of emergency has been extended in three more regions, meanwhile, a petition with 350,000 signatures has been submitted calling for the Olympics to be cancelled. 

According to AFP, capital of Taiwan, Taipei is indefinitely closing down entertainment venues, libraries and sports centres in the wake of an outbreak of infections first detected among pilots. The island has been a global leader in containing the pandemic, with just 1,290 confirmed cases and 12 deaths.

However, in Europe, tourist hotspots are opening up with Greece opening up for tourism season in the hopes to reverse last year's losses. Similarly, France and Spain launched tourism campaigns this week while Italy said it was scrapping a quarantine requirement for visitors who test negative for coronavirus from the EU, Britain and Israel.

On Friday, Portugal announced that British tourists and football fans will be allowed in.

The US, on Thursday, said it was lifting mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people.

"I think it's a great milestone, a great day," President Biden said.

 Some people, however, said they would continue to wear their masks out of caution.