World Health Organization officials will offer an update on the latest developments in the coronavirus pandemic, as scientists report a new strain of the virus that causes COVID-19 in the U.K. is more infectious.
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced Friday the organization’s vaccine investment and procurement program, known as COVAX, had secured nearly 2 billion doses of several promising vaccine candidates. That means all 190 participating countries and economies will be able to access vaccines to protect vulnerable groups in their populations in 2021.
How to watch World Health Organization officials on the coronavirus pandemic
- What: Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and other top WHO officials from will discuss the latest developments in the COVID-19 pandemic
- Date: December 21, 2020
- Time: 11 a.m. ET
- Location: WHO headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland
- Online stream: Live on CBSN2 in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device
The new strain of the virus in the U.K. prompted dozens of countries in the European Union and around the world to close their borders to travelers from the country, though the WHO’s Maria Van Kerkhove said last week there was no evidence the variant behaves differently. Cases of COVID-19 are surging in the U.K., which curtailed the expected relaxation of safety measures for Christmas and instead tightened restrictions.
Nearly 77 million people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Nearly 1.7 million have died.
Note: Streaming plans are subject to change
