Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 - 16 March 2023

Overview

Globally, nearly 4.1 million new cases and 28 000 deaths were reported in the last 28 days (13 February to 12 March 2023), a decrease of 40% and 57%, respectively, compared to the previous 28 days; however, there are significant regional differences including increases in some regions. As of 12 March 2023, over 760 million confirmed cases and over 6.8 million deaths have been reported globally.

In this edition, we include:

• The COVID-19 epidemiological update at the global and the regional levels
• An update on the circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) and Omicron subvariants under monitoring 
• An update on COVID-19 vaccination status of health and care workers
• An update on hospitalizations and ICU admissions related to COVID-19