Weekly COVID-19 Reports Update

Weekly Epidemiological Update

 29 March

Between the end of January and early March 2022, there was a consistent decreasing trend in the number of new COVID-19 cases, which was followed by two consecutive weeks of increase in cases. During the week of 21 through 27 March 2022, the number of new cases declined again with a 14% decrease as compared to the previous week. On the other hand, during the same period, the number of new weekly deaths has increased by 43%, driven by changes in the definition of COVID-19 deaths in countries in the Region of the Americas (Chile and the United States of America) and retrospective adjustments reported from India in the South-East Asia Region

Across the six WHO regions, over 10 million new cases and over 45 000 new deaths were reported. All regions reported decreasing trends in the number of new weekly cases and four regions reported a decreasing trend in new weekly deaths. As of 27 March 2022, over 479 million confirmed cases and over 6 million deaths have been reported globally

In this edition, we provide updates on the geographic distribution of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs), including information on recombinant variants

Weekly Operational Update

 30 March

In this edition of the COVID-19 Weekly Operational Update, highlights of country-level actions and WHO support to countries include:

• Honduras Receives 349,830 Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine donated through the COVAX Mechanism
• Building on the momentum from the COVID-19 pandemic: Launch of the Global genomic surveillance strategy for pathogens with pandemic and epidemic potential 
• COVID-19 pandemic: testing capacities grow in WHO South-East Asia Region, focus now on enhancing genome sequencing
• WHO holds its first infodemic management training of trainers in the Islamic Republic of Iran
• WHO increases medical oxygen generation capacity to manage COVID-19 and other health needs in the Syrian Arab Republic
• WHO and EU hand over life-saving medical oxygen plant to Somalia: a landmark achievement in bridging gaps in oxygen supply
• Expanding COVID-19 vaccination in Cote d’Ivoire through mobilization of religious and community leaders
• KwaZulu-Natal province reviews its COVID-19 vaccination programme to improve planning and actions
• Enhancing laboratory biosafety in the South East Asian Region
• Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) deploys technical support for the COVID-19 response in Kiribati
• WHO expands one-to-one coaching to support staff engaged in preventing and responding to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (PSREAH) and participants in Leadership in Emergencies courses
• Operations Support and Logistics updates
• Progress on a subset of global indicators that demonstrate country and global progress to end the acute phase of the pandemic

Donors making a difference: Knocking down obstacles to COVID-19 vaccination

WHO in emergencies: a partner in health, serving the world’s most vulnerable people

WHO’s Science in 5 on COVID 19 : Tracking variants

WHO SPRP 2021 Mid-term Report - WHO Strategic Action Against COVID-19

WHO COVID-19 SPRP: Updated Appeal September 2021 - March 2022

New ACT-Accelerator Appeal: Supporting the spinal cord of the global COVID-19 response - December 2021

Read the latest about the situation in Ukraine

Read more stories of ongoing work in countries around the world in support of the COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan 2021

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