WHO says coronavirus cannot be completely eradicated by the end of 2021

• WHO says coronavirus is not likely to be completely eradicated by the end of this year.
• Precautionary measures can be taken to control hospital admissions and deaths caused by the virus, says WHO official.
• According to the WHO official, the pandemic is currently under control.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday that coronavirus is not likely to be completely eradicated by the end of this year, however, vaccines can help save lives.

Precautionary measures can be taken to control hospital admissions and deaths caused by the virus, WHO Health Emergencies Programme Executive Director Dr Mike Ryan said, adding that last week saw a rise in virus cases after six consecutive weeks of decline.

Read more:  WHO chief says coronavirus pandemic 'far from over'

According to the WHO official, the pandemic is currently under control.

Cases are on the rise in the United States, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Eastern Mediterranean, the WHO Director-General Tedros Adanom Gabrius said.

He warned that it would be a mistake to completely rely on a coronavirus vaccine. This situation must be disappointing, but it is not surprising, he said.

"It would be a mistake to rely solely on vaccines to avoid coronavirus," he said, adding that public health measures are the basis for an effective response to the ongoing pandemic.