WHO: Europe entering ‘plausible endgame’ to COVID pandemic

COPENHAGEN (AP) — The director of the World Health Organization’s Europe office says the continent is now entering a “plausible endgame” to the pandemic and that the number of coronavirus deaths is now starting to plateau. Dr. Hans Kluge said at a media briefing Thursday that there is a “singular opportunity” for countries to take control of COVID-19’s transmission. He said high levels of vaccination, the approaching spring season and the omicron variant’s lower severity could help authorities control the virus’s spread. Kluge said there were 12 million new coronavirus cases across WHO’s European region last week. That’s the highest single weekly total so far. But he said admissions to hospital intensive care units haven’t risen significantly.