n the past week, the number of new COVID-19 cases and deaths continues to decrease, with over 3.5 million new cases and 78 000 new deaths reported globally. Although the number of global cases and deaths continued to decrease for a fifth and fourth consecutive week respectively, case and death incidences remain at high levels and significant increases have been reported in many countries in all regions.

In this edition, special focus updates are provided on:

SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Interest (VOIs) and Variants of Concern (VOCs), including the introduction of new labels for public communications, updates on VOI and VOC classifications and the global geographical distribution of VOCs Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P.1) and Delta (B.1.617.2). Lessons learned during the early phases of rolling out COVID-19 vaccines, with a particular focus on low-and-middle income countries (LMICs).

About WHO

The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.