The World Health Organization Emergency Committee will decide on Jan. 27 if the COVID-19 pandemic is still a global emergency—and the decision could impact how governments, including Canada, proceed with tackling the virus.
The emergency declaration title, known as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, is the highest alert level for the United Nations agency and issuing the declaration helps accelerate research, funding and international public health measures to contain the disease..
At a press conference Friday, federal public health officials told reporters that Canada will continue to monitor COVID-19 subvariants and urged people to get booster doses. As Omicron’s newest subvariant, the Kraken, spreads across the country, officials said the pandemic is not over. On Friday, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam said the decision by the UN is an “important deliberation.”“Whatever the decision is made by the Director General of the WHO, I think we just need to keep going with what we’re doing now,” she said.
Canada’s Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo cautioned people thinking the pandemic is over.
Source: ctvnews.ca
Monday, May 4, 2026
