A weakened virus variant, a large number of vaccinated and recovered individuals are all the necessary conditions for the world to overcome the Covid-19 "nightmare"...
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| The US is still researching the next generation of vaccines to combat variants of the SARS-CoV2 virus. (Illustrative image. Source: Shutterstock) |
On May 5th, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the COVID-19 pandemic was no longer a global public health emergency. However, because the pandemic is not yet completely over, the WHO recommends that countries shift from an emergency response to sustainable management, integrating it with other threats and focusing on the long term.
Before the WHO announced this, most European countries had already declared the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. Slovenia was the first European country to "fire the first shot," reopening its borders with Austria, Croatia, Hungary, and Italy when Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa officially declared the end of the Covid-19 pandemic on May 15, 2020. Following this, the country declared the pandemic over for the second time on June 15, 2021, eight months after a resurgence of the virus, and simultaneously lifted most related restrictions.
Europe takes the lead.
Prime Minister Janez Jansa emphasized that statistics show Slovenia has the best pandemic response in Europe, and at the time of the announcement, the country did not need to continue using special measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
However, even though the government declared the pandemic over, some measures remained in place, such as mandatory mask-wearing, bans on large gatherings in public places, and adherence to social distancing rules.
Sweden was the first Nordic country to lift most domestic Covid-19 restrictions and testing on February 9, 2022.
Shortly afterwards, the Swedish government announced the lifting of remaining restrictions – implicitly declaring the pandemic in the country over, thanks to the effectiveness of the vaccine and the less severe Omicron variant, which reduced the number of severe cases and deaths.
Since the Covid-19 outbreak in the country, Sweden has limited lockdowns, instead relying primarily on voluntary measures to combat the pandemic.
Swedish Health Minister Lena Hallengren said that, although the number of Omicron infections remains high, Covid-19 is no longer considered a global pandemic threat to the community. "By the time we knew about the pandemic, it was over," Hallengren said.
Since February 9, 2022, restaurants and bars in Sweden have been allowed to open after 11 pm with no limit on the number of customers. Large events no longer have attendance limits and do not require proof of vaccination. Passengers on public transport are also no longer required to wear masks, and recommendations to limit social contact have been lifted.
A similar trend can be seen in Nordic countries, where most restrictions have been lifted, and the number of infections has decreased significantly recently. Health experts say that Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland all have high vaccination rates, which has helped their populations be better protected against the virus.
Across Europe, restrictions were gradually lifted starting around March 2022. According to The Guardian (UK), the French lifted most Covid-19 restrictions from March 14, 2022. In Germany, the lifting was announced on March 20, 2022. Accordingly, people are only required to wear masks on public transport, in hospitals, and nursing homes; this regulation is no longer in effect when going to places such as shops, restaurants, and schools.
The US continues vaccine research.
Later than European countries, US President Joe Biden officially announced on April 10, 2023, the end of the national health emergency caused by the global Covid-19 pandemic, which had killed more than 1 million people in the US over the past three years.
This decision concludes the costly funding of Covid-19 tests, free vaccinations, and other emergency measures implemented since January 2020 to help the world's largest economy emerge from the pandemic.
The White House said that although the US has officially ended the state of emergency for Covid-19, the administration is still researching next-generation vaccines and other measures to combat future variants of the SARS-CoV2 virus.
A senior U.S. government official (speaking on condition of anonymity) said: “The NextGen project accelerates and streamlines the rapid development of the next generation of vaccines and treatments through public-private partnerships.” According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, on February 9, 2022, the U.S. “has made significant progress in comprehensively ending the Covid-19 pandemic.”
The Omicron variant is currently weakening, and many people have been vaccinated or have previously had Covid-19, leading to a situation where humanity has sufficient protection against the pandemic, shifting from a global epidemic to an endemic disease. Dr. Fauci stated: "There is no way to eradicate this virus, but the consequences it causes can be mitigated once enough people are protected through vaccination or recovery."
A new approach in Asia
According to information from InsideAsia Tours, an Asian tour operator, most destinations have completely relaxed entry requirements, especially Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Laos, Singapore, Hong Kong (China), South Korea, and Japan.
Following the WHO's announcement that the Covid-19 emergency phase had passed, Japan lifted its overseas travel advisory for its citizens on May 8, 2023. This was the final step in the process of fully resuming tourism, returning to pre-pandemic levels. The country also lifted entry restrictions and continued visa-free travel in October 2022, and removed all vaccination requirements on April 29, 2023. Tourists no longer had to undergo testing before departure or present proof of vaccination.
Hong Kong (China) removed all Covid-19-related entry requirements in early 2023, allowing even unvaccinated travelers to enter without needing to provide any proof of vaccination or PCR test. In the event of contracting Covid-19 while there, travelers are not required to quarantine, although they must still follow health guidelines to minimize the spread of the virus.
South Korea eliminated PCR testing requirements from the beginning of October 2022. From April 1, 2023, the country granted K-ETA (Korea's mandatory electronic travel authorization system) exemptions to 22 countries, including the United Kingdom and 12 other countries in Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
In Vietnam, on June 3rd, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control agreed to reclassify COVID-19 from a Group A infectious disease to a Group B infectious disease, and simultaneously issued guidelines on applying appropriate disease prevention and control measures to develop a sustainable control and management plan for COVID-19 for the period 2023-2025 in accordance with the new situation. Dr. Angela Pratt, Head of the WHO Representative Office in Vietnam, highly praised Vietnam's response measures from the very beginning.
International experts acknowledge that Vietnam has become a model of successful response to the pandemic, frequently mentioned and disseminated by the WHO.
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