A year into COVID-19, U.N. declares a day of 'epidemic preparedness'

FILE PHOTO: The United Nations logo is seen on a window in an empty hallway at United Nations headquarters in New York, U.S., September 21, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A year into a global battle against the coronavirus, the United Nations General Assembly on Monday declared Dec. 27 will be the "International Day of Epidemic Preparedness" in a bid to ensure lessons are learned for any future health crises.

The COVID-19 virus emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year and spread globally, so far infecting more than 66 million people and killing some 1.5 million. The World Health Organization (WHO) called it a pandemic in March, a declaration that the United States and others said came too late.