WHO: In 10 weeks, omicron surge causes COVID cases to soar

By JAMEY KEATEN
Associated Press

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization chief says 90 million cases of coronavirus have been reported since the omicron variant was first identified 10 weeks ago, amounting to more than in all of 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. With many countries easing restrictive measures, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyeus cautioned that omicron should not be underestimated even though it has shown to bring less severe illness than earlier variants. He cited “a very worrying increase in deaths in most regions of the world.”