Missouri Gov. Mike Parson says “the COVID-19 crisis is over" in Missouri.

The Republican governor announced Wednesday that the state will transition to treating the coronavirus as an endemic beginning Friday.

One result is that the public will have less frequent updates about the number of deaths, hospitalizations and cases of COVID-19. Parson said the change recognizes that the coronavirus is here to stay and that there will be periodic surges in cases.

State Health Director Paula Nickelson says the state will monitor and respond to the coronavirus similar to how it does for influenza and other ongoing diseases.

Beginning Friday, the Department of Health and Senior Services 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. This is a flexible approach allowing accommodation for future surges, should they occur, and require more frequent updates and additional datasets, the governor said.

More information about vaccines, testing resources, and treatment options along with the updated COVID-19 dashboard and details about this phase of the pandemic can be found by visiting health.mo.gov/coronavirus.

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