The spread of COVID-19 is no longer a global public health emergency.
The World Health Organization made the declaration earlier Friday. The W-H-O Director said it is with great hope that he declares COVID-19 over as a global health emergency.
He says globally the pandemic has been on a downward trend with population immunity increasing through vaccination and infection, mortality rates declining, and the pressure on health care easing.
But officials warn while the health emergency is over there is still a health threat out there as they expect the virus to continue to transmit.
The global health emergency was first declared in January of 2020 and officially deemed a pandemic in March of the same year.