COVID-19 cases are rising globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday, adding that vaccine coverage is experiencing an "alarming decline." 

"The virus is circulating in all countries," WHO director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention Maria Van Kerkhove said in a UN press briefing in Geneva, highlighting that the "Data from our sentinel-based surveillance system across 84 countries reports that the percent of positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 has been rising for several weeks."

Test positivity is currently above 10%. However, this number varies according to the region, with Van Kerkhove adding that the positivity percentage in Europe is above 20%.

Virus circulation is 2-20 times higher than reported

The circulation of the COVID-19 virus is 2-20 times higher than what is currently being reported, wastewater surveillance suggests, with the WHO director warning that "This is significant because the virus continues to evolve and change, which puts us all at risk of a potentially more severe virus that could evade our detection and/or our medical interventions, including vaccination."

"Such high circulation is not 'typical' for respiratory viruses that tend to increase in circulation in the colder months," Van Kerkhove noted, emphasizing that despite the season, many countries have experienced surges in COVID-19 cases in the last few months.

These cases are resulting in increased hospitalizations and deaths around the world, noting that these surges are also present at the Paris Olympics where at least 40 athletes have tested positive for the virus. 

Vaccination decline needs to be reversed

"Over the last two years, we have seen an alarming decline in vaccine coverage, especially among health workers and people over 60, two of the most at-risk groups," the WHO director said, asserting "This urgently needs to be turned around," by recommending countries co-administrate COVID-19 vaccinations with seasonal influenza vaccines to reverse the reduction.

Van Kerkhove also urged international governments to continue investing in and supporting an understanding of COVID-19 circulation and impact, as well as equipping their communities with the necessary tools to protect themselves and care for those suffering from acute and long-term COVID-19 effects, including post-COVID-19 conditions.

"WHO urges countries to continue to sharpen their pandemic preparedness, readiness, and response systems on which they have worked so hard during COVID, to be ready for surges of COVID-19 as well as other emerging and re-emerging pathogens, like avian influenza H5N1, mpox, dengue," she said.