WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus adjusts his glasses during a press conference at the World Health Organisation's headquarters in Geneva, on December 14, 2022. (Photo by Fabrice Coffrini/ AFP)
Three years ago, the Associated Press reported on the World Health Organization's declaration of "the outbreak sparked by a new virus in China that has spread to more than a dozen countries as a global emergency Thursday after the number of cases spiked more than tenfold in a week."
"The U.N. health agency defines an international emergency as an 'extraordinary event' that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response," the report continued.
The same day, U.S. health officials reported the first known case in which the new coronavirus was spread from one person to another in the United States. President Donald Trump described the handful of U.S. cases of the virus as a “very little problem” and said people infected were “recuperating successfully.” The State Department advised U.S. citizens against traveling to China, and Russia ordered the closure of its 2,600-mile-long land border with China in an effort to limit the spread of the virus.
In his speech declaring a global public health emergency, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said "Our greatest concern is the potential for this virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems which are ill-prepared to deal with it.”
"The only way we will defeat this outbreak," said Dr. Tedros, "is for all countries to work together in a spirit of solidarity and cooperation. We are all in this together, and we can only stop it together."
As of Jan. 27, 2023, more than 6.8 million people have died of Covid-19, according to WHO data.
Houston, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, Phoenix and Rhode Island were among the hardest-hit metro areas. The Twin Cities saw a 106% increase in evictions filings in March.
The two-year investigation found numerous examples of excessive force, unlawful discrimination, First Amendment violations, needless escalation of mental health crises and sabotage of investigations into misconduct. Racism and racial profiling were rampant.
Police in southern Germany are appealing for photos and videos taken by witnesses of an attack near Neuschwanstein castle in which an American man allegedly pushed two women down a steep slope, killing one of them. A suspect was arrested following the attack.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent a busload of migrants to downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, prompting Mayor Karen Bass to respond to Abbott's move as a "despicable stunt."
The largest drag brunch show ever took place right here in New York City this past weekend. The event was organized by H&M and the Marcia Institute in an effort to stand with the LGBTQ community and drag performers as a number of states across the country have introduced anti-drag legislation.
