Thread by @kakape

“Globally, the number of new cases of #COVID19 reported to WHO has now declined for seven weeks in a row, which is the longest sequence of weekly declines during the pandemic so far”, says @DrTedros at @WHO presser on #covid19.

@DrTedros @WHO But the decline "masks a worrying increase in cases and deaths in many countries”, says @DrTedros. "The steep increase in Africa is especially concerning, because it is the region with the least access to vaccines, diagnostics and oxygen."

@DrTedros @WHO “Evidence suggests new variants have substantially increased transmission globally. That means, the risks have increased for people who are not protected, which is most of the world's population”, says @DrTedros.

@DrTedros @WHO “Our shared goal must be to vaccinate at least 70% of the world's population by the time the G7 meets again in Germany next year”, says @DrTedros. "To do that we need 11 billion doses."

@DrTedros @WHO G7 commitment to donate 870 million doses "is a big help”, says @DrTedros. "But we need more. And we need them faster.
More than 10,000 people are dying every day.
During this press conference, alone, more than 420 people will die."

@DrTedros @WHO “The emergence of more transmittable variants means public health and social measures may need to be more stringent and applied for longer in areas where vaccination rates remain low”, says @DrTedros.

@DrTedros @WHO Impact of such measures is more difficult to study than efficacy of a vaccine, says @DrTedros and announces WHO is establishing new working group "with the support of Norway to study the impact of public health and social measures during #COVID19, and other health emergencies”.

@DrTedros @WHO “We might have been lucky this time”, says Norway’s health minister @BentHHoyre. “The next pandemic may behave differently than #COVID19. We may have to depend on [public health and social measures] for a much longer time at the next pandemic before vaccines are available."

@DrTedros @WHO @BentHHoyre “Even though most countries have been using these restrictive measures extensively for more than a year, our knowledge on the precise effects of each of these measures is unclear, and the effects are difficult to research”, says @BentHHoyre.

@DrTedros @WHO @BentHHoyre Three tasks for initiative, says @BentHHoyre:
1. examine impact as well as social and economic costs of the different measures used during the pandemic
2. develop better tools such as improved face masks
3. develop other digital tools to be deployed during the next pandemic

@DrTedros @WHO @BentHHoyre Q from @HelenBranswell about reports of myocarditis in Pfizer vaccines.
“We're still at the stage of investigating whether this is a signal related to the vaccine or this is part of the normal distribution in the population”, says @mariangelasimao.

@DrTedros @WHO @BentHHoyre @HelenBranswell @mariangelasimao “While they're notable and need to be followed up, just to reassure people, that these have been self-limiting mild cases” of myocarditis says @DrMikeRyan.

@DrTedros @WHO @BentHHoyre @HelenBranswell @mariangelasimao @DrMikeRyan Vaccination campaigns pose many logistical challenges, says @DrMikeRyan. “There is underfunding right now of basic preparedness in many, many countries. We would urge donors and others to not only fund vaccines, but to fund the operations needed to deliver those vaccines…"

@DrTedros @WHO @BentHHoyre @HelenBranswell @mariangelasimao @DrMikeRyan "$16 billion represents less than 1% of one year spending on military defense around the world. Surely we can afford 1% of that to save lives, and bring this pandemic to an end.” @DrMikeRyan putting the missing $16 billion dollars for COVAX and the ACT-Accelerator in context.