GENEVA (AP) — The coronavirus remains a global health emergency, the World Health Organization chief said Monday, after a key advisory panel found the pandemic may be nearing an “inflexion point” where higher levels of immunity can lower virus-related deaths.

Speaking at the opening of WHO’s annual executive board meeting, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “there is no doubt that we're in a far better situation now” than a year ago — when the highly transmissible Omicron variant was at its peak.

But Tedros warned that in the last eight weeks, at least 170,000 people have died around the world in connection with the coronavirus. He called for at-risk groups to be fully vaccinated, an increase in testing and early use of antivirals, an expansion of lab networks, and a fight against “misinformation” about the pandemic.

"We remain hopeful that in the coming year, the world will transition to a new phase in which we reduce hospitalizations and deaths to the lowest possible level,” he said.

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Delaware Gov. John Carney has tested positive for COVID-19, the governor's office announced on Saturday.

Carney tested positive late Friday using an at-home antigen test after experiencing mild symptoms, according to a news release.

Carney, 66, said he's “feeling fine” and is isolating himself — following U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines — and will work from home.

This marks Carney's second publicly announced bout with coronavirus in the past several months. He tested positive last May.