The World Health Organization will convene an expert committee on Friday to discuss whether COVID-19 remains a global health emergency.

The meeting comes three days before the third anniversary of the WHO declaring the coronavirus outbreak to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

At their previous session in October, the committee members concluded that it was too early to declare an end to the emergency. They cited factors, such as uncertainties about the risk of variants emerging.

If the WHO lifts the declaration based on a recommendation by the committee, it may lead national governments to ease their anti-infection measures.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke about the forthcoming meeting at a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday.

He said, "While I will not pre-empt the advice of the Emergency Committee, I remain very concerned by the situation in many countries and the rising number of deaths."