GENEVA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The next World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, originally scheduled for January, will be postponed until early next summer, its managing director of public engagement Adrian Monck said Wednesday in a statement.

Photo taken on Sept. 11, 2018 shows the venue of the World Economic Forum on ASEAN in Hanoi, Vietnam, Sept. 11, 2018. The 2018 World Economic Forum on ASEAN kicked off in Hanoi on Tuesday. (Photo: Xinhua/Li Gang)

"The decision was not taken easily, since the need for global leaders to come together to design a common recovery path and shape the 'Great Reset' in the post-COVID-19 era is so urgent. However, the advice from experts is that we cannot do so safely in January," Monck said.

However, according to the statement, world leaders will participate in virtual high-level "Davos Dialogues" starting from January 25, while details of the rescheduled event will be confirmed "as soon as we are assured that all conditions are fulfilled to guarantee the health and safety of our participants and the hosting community."

As of Wednesday, the global COVID-19 caseload has surpassed 23.93 million with a death toll of over 820,000, according to data from John Hopkins University.

In Switzerland, where the Alpine town of Davos is located, coronavirus cases have climbed to 40,645, while related fatalities stand at 2,003.