The World Health Organization voiced optimism about when can the COVID-19 pandemic finally come to an end.

Last week, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the WHO, said in a news briefing in Geneva that the world was already in a better position to end the global health crisis. This was based on the latest figures gathered from different healthcare facilities.

“Last week, the number of weekly reported deaths from COVID-19 was the lowest since March 2020. We have never been in a better position to end the pandemic. We’re not there yet, but the end is in sight,” Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying by CNN.

The director-general went on to claim that the finish line is in sight, so we must “seize the opportunity” to get closer to the end of the pandemic.

“A marathon runner does not stop when the finish line comes into view; she runs harder with all the energy she has left. So must we. We can see the finish line, we are in a winning position, but now is the worst time to stop running,” he explained.

Ghebreyesus pointed out that the world should grab the chance to run harder and make sure to cross the finish line, so all of “our hard work” would be rewarded.

He acknowledged that despite the optimistic view, there are still risks involved. With newer variants coming in, deaths, disruption and uncertainty are still inevitable.

Not just in the U.S., but the entire world is seeing a steady drop in COVID-19 cases for the past two months, based on data from Johns Hopkins University.

As of Sept. 11, the world has recorded more than 6.4 million deaths due to SARS-CoV-2. According to the latest figures, the U.S. reported the highest number of weekly deaths, followed by Japan, Russia, Brazil and the Philippines. But overall, the numbers drastically lowered in five regions: Europe, South-East Asia, the Americas, Western Pacific and Eastern Mediterranean.

Health care experts are positive that the new hospitalizations and deaths will hold steady for the next month, considering that about two-thirds of the global population are vaccinated with at least the initial dose.

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