WHO official: third COVID-19 wave possible if people not cautious enough

Herd immunity to the novel coronavirus has not yet been developed globally, so a third wave of the epidemic is possible if people are not cautious enough, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Russia Melita Vujnovic said.

"The second wave is currently demonstrating downwards tendencies across the globe. But herd immunity is not yet enough. There is no barrier yet," she said in an interview with the Rossiya-1 television channel.

"And, well, if we are not cautious enough, a third wave is possible. Everything will depend on people’s behavior," TASS cited Vujnovic as saying.

On February 15, the World Health Organization reported the lowest daily tally of newly confirmed coronavirus cases since October 7, 2020.

To date, 4,099,323 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 3,624,663 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 80,979 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.