Parson declares COVID crisis in Missouri is over, endemic phase response to begin Friday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Missouri Governor Mike Parson declared the COVID-19 crisis in the Show-Me State is over.

In a press briefing Wednesday afternoon, the governor said the state’s response to the pandemic will transition to that of an endemic beginning April 1.

“We have come a long way,” Parson reflected. “No one had a road map to fight this virus.”

The governor said that while new variants are likely, overall cases in the state are down 98 percent.

“As we enter this phase of our state’s recovery, we continue to encourage Missourians to safeguard their own health and the health of loved ones through tried and true public health measures,” Department of Health and Senior Services Acting Director Paula Nickelson said in a statement. “Missourians should feel confident that we will remain vigilant when monitoring COVID-19 levels throughout the state.”

Beginning Friday, the Department of Health and Senior Services stated that it will provide weekly dashboard updates that will include 7-day case rate data, activity by region and county, statewide data on COVID-19 hospitalizations, and circulating virus variants.

More information on the endemic response can be found here.

Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

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