Pandemic's just going through a phase?

[Mike O'Connell]

Does anyone else find the wording of WHO pandemic alerts curious?

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2009/h1n1_20090427/en/index.html

The Director-General has raised the level of influenza pandemic alert from the current phase 3 to phase 4. The change to a higher phase of pandemic alert indicates that the likelihood of a pandemic has increased, but not that a pandemic is inevitable. As further information becomes available, WHO may decide to either revert to phase 3 or raise the level of alert to another phase.