First steps in reforming global health emergency rules adopted

A picture taken on May 8, 2021 shows a sign of the World Health Organization at the entrance of their headquarters in Geneva amid the COVID-19 outbreak. (FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)

GENEVA / LOS ANGELES / KIGALI – Countries around the world on Saturday adopted an initial US-led reform of the rules around disease outbreaks, known as the International Health Regulations (IHR), the United States said.

The amendments, adopted at the World Health Organization (WHO) assembly, were agreed at a meeting seen as a once-in-a-generation chance for the UN health agency to strengthen its role after some 15 million deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The amendments, adopted at the World Health Organization (WHO) assembly, were agreed at a meeting seen as a once-in-a-generation chance for the UN health agency to strengthen its role after some 15 million deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic

The breakthrough – amendments to Article 59 of the IHR that will speed up the implementation of reforms – came after early opposition from Africa and others was overcome this week.

The changes sought by Washington, and backed by others such as Japan and the European Union, mark a first step in a broader reform of the IHR, which set out countries' legal obligations around disease outbreaks, expected to take up to two years.

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Sheba Crocker, US ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, hailed as "a significant achievement" the initial amendments and an agreement on establishing a working group to consider targeted, substantive amendments.

"An updated, modernized IHR will help all countries and will ensure we have the information, resources, capacity, and transparency needed to address future global health crises," she said in a statement.

Rwanda

In several spots in Rwanda, white tents where COVID-19 tests used to be conducted have disappeared.

The testing site at Camp Kigali was closed on May 20, 2022. PCR testing previously conducted there continues to be performed at Gikondo Rwanda Biomedical Center site, while the antigen rapid tests are now performed at various health facilities.

A return to normality is visible with residents moving without face masks for the first time since 2020 in a country that has been praised for strictly enforcing preventive measures since recording its first COVID-19 case in March 2020.

Rwanda has seen COVID-19 infection rates drastically drop since last December, thanks to a high vaccination effort.

A medical worker injects a second dose of Astra Zeneca vaccine to a patient in a COVIDD-19 (coronavirus) vaccination center in Kigali, on May 27, 2021. (LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP)

More than 7.9 million Rwandans, equivalent to 61 percent of the country's population, were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of March 10.

"We have been able to keep COVID-19 positivity rate under 1 percent for about four months now. The last time we had over 1 percent was on January 29," Julien Niyingabira, the Ministry of Health spokesperson told Xinhua.

"Even when we had a fourth wave (in December) driven by highly infectious Omicron variant, we didn't have many severe and death cases because many were vaccinated."

Rwanda has recorded an accumulated case log of roughly 130,000 confirmed cases as of May 25 with related fatalities stagnating at 1,459.

In the past week, 68 cases were recorded with an infection rate of 0.2 percent.

More than 9 million people have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccination while 8.5 million have received the second dose as of May 25, according to Ministry of Health daily updates. At least 4.6 million people had received the booster jab by May 25.

Seventh and eighth grades students attend a combined Advanced Engineering class at Olive Vista Middle School on the first day back following the winter break amid a dramatic surge in COVID-19 cases across Los Angeles County on Jan 11, 2022 in Sylmar, California.  (FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP)

US               

The governor of the US state California Gavin Newsom tested positive for COVID-19 and will remain in isolation at least through June 2 and until he tests negative, his office said Saturday.

Newsom said on Twitter that he is "experiencing mild symptoms" and "following health guidelines and will be isolating" while working remotely.

He has been vaccinated and has received two booster shots, including as recently as May 18, according to the statement.

In recent weeks, COVID-19 transmission rates are steadily climbing in California, home to over 40 million residents.

The state had reported a total of 8,896,174 COVID-19 cases and 90,612 related deaths as of Friday, according to the California Department of Public Health.

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