Despite Parson's announcement, the pandemic is not over, St. Louis officials say

[Sherman A1]

Missouri officials have announced an end to the coronavirus pandemic emergency, saying the state is moving on from the crisis.

But public health officials think it may be too early to declare victory over the pandemic.

“I found it laughable,” Dr. Faisal Khan, St. Louis County's acting health director, said of the state’s announcement earlier this week. “The pandemic is certainly not over; it's certainly not entering any semblance of an endemic phase. Pronouncements of victory are premature and self-delusional.”

State health officials said the change in focus did not mean the virus had vanished. Instead, the state will treat it as a continuing threat similar to illnesses like strep throat and the flu.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/coronavirus/2022-04-01/despite-parsons-announcement-the-pandemic-is-not-over-st-louis-officials-say

Gov "Do Nothing" Parsons isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer......