WHO: COVID-19 falling everywhere, except Americas and Africa

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization says the number of new coronavirus cases reported worldwide has continued to fall except in the Americas and Africa. In its latest weekly assessment of the pandemic, the U.N. health agency said about 3.5 million new cases and more than 25,000 deaths were reported globally. Those figures represent weekly decreases of 12% for cases and 25% for deaths. The downward trend in COVID-19 began in March 2022. However, many countries have suspended their widespread testing and surveillance policies, making an accurate case count extremely difficult. WHO said there were only two regions where reported COVID-19 infections increased week to week: the Americas, by 14%, and Africa, by 12%.