World Health Organization(WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is in sight.

During an online press conference on Wednesday, the WHO chief released his upbeat forecast.

[Sound bite: WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus]
"Last week, the number of weekly reported deaths from COVID-19 was the lowest since March 2020. We have never been in a better position to end the pandemic. We are not there yet, but the end is in sight."

According to the WHO, there were ten-thousand-935 reported deaths from COVID-19 worldwide between September 5 and 11, down 22 percent from a week earlier. New reported cases also dropped 28 percent on-week.

The director-general called for continued vigilance, however, saying if the opportunity to bring an end to the pandemic is lost, the world will run the risk of more variants, deaths, disruption and uncertainty.

He urged all countries to  invest in vaccinating 100 percent of high-risk groups in pursuit of 70-percent overall vaccine coverage.

Asked about a possible resurgence, Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead for COVID-19, said that even if the virus transmission continues, it is unlikely to cause a spike in fatalities as the world is now equipped with vaccines and treatment.