Last week saw the first decline in newly-reported cases globally since September, said World Health Organisation Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on 30 November.

He said this is due to a decrease in cases in Europe thanks to the effectiveness of difficult but necessary measures put in place in recent weeks.

However, the DG warned that this is no time for complacency, especially with the holiday season approaching in many cultures and countries.

“Gains can easily be lost, and there was still an increase in cases in most other regions of the world, and an increase in deaths.”

“We all want to be together with the people we love during festive periods,” he said. “But being with family and friends is not worth putting them or yourself at risk.”

“We all need to consider whose life we might be gambling with, in the decisions we make,” he added.

The DG went on to provide some guidelines in celebrating the festive season.

This includes avoiding gatherings with many different households and families, avoid crowded shopping centres, avoid travelling unless essential, and always follow local or national guidelines, among others.

“Even if we can’t celebrate as normal this year, make a plan to celebrate with your family and friends once it’s safe to do so. We know it will be safe, it’s a matter of time.”

“The pandemic will end – and we all have a part to play in ending it.”

As at 30 November, over 62 million confirmed cases of CoViD-19, including over 1.4 million deaths globally, have been reported to WHO.

Meanwhile, a number of agencies separately announced a vaccine against CoViD-19 recently. They include Pfizer and BionTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Oxford University, as well as the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Russia.