LONDON — The head of the World Health Organization on Friday mentioned an alarming pattern of rising Covid instances has resulted in world infections now approaching their highest level since the begin of the pandemic.

“Around the world, instances and deaths are persevering with to extend at worrying charges,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus mentioned in a briefing centered on Papua New Guinea and the western Pacific area.

“Globally, the variety of new instances per week has practically doubled over the previous two months. This is approaching the highest rate of infection that we’ve got seen so far throughout the pandemic,” he continued.

“Some international locations that had beforehand averted widespread transmission at the moment are seeing steep will increase in infections,” Tedros mentioned, citing Papua New Guinea as one instance.

Tedros mentioned the United Nations well being company would proceed to evaluate the evolution of the coronavirus disaster and “regulate recommendation accordingly.”

Under worldwide well being rules, Tedros mentioned WHO’s emergency committee convened on Thursday and he anticipated to obtain their recommendation on Monday.

“Globally, our message to all individuals in all international locations stays the identical. We all have a task to play in ending the pandemic,” he mentioned.

To date, greater than 139 million Covid instances have been reported worldwide, with 2.9 million deaths, in response to knowledge compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

The WHO declared the coronavirus a world pandemic on March 11 final yr.