Wednesday afternoon, Governor Mike Parson announced what he viewed as the end of the COVID-19 crisis in Missouri. He says the state will be shifting to an endemic phase of the pandemic on Friday, April 1, 2022. Classifying COVID-19 as an endemic will mean treating the deadly virus like the seasonal flu. Contact tracing will end for COVID-19 in the state, along with daily reports on cases and deaths reported by the state health department. Instead, weekly reports will address the impact of COVID-19 on Missouri. “Over the past two years, we have learned a lot that will help us respond to future outbreaks and challenges that may come our way,” Governor Parson said. “We don’t know if this virus will ever completely go away, but we do know that there is no longer a need to live in crisis mode and that we can shift our response to meet the current needs of Missourians. The COVID-19 crisis is over in the state of Missouri, and we are moving on.”Hospitalizations in Missouri have dropped drastically in the past month after reaching record highs in January and February. With around 20,000, Missouri has had the 16th most deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the United States. Missouri has had the 21st most COVID-19 cases among states, with over 1.4 million cases.Parson says surveillance priority will change from monitoring case numbers to monitoring disease severity and societal impact as new waves of infection come and go. He says the transition does not minimize the continued importance of public health surveillance, investigation, and response activities, as is necessary to mitigate any disease.In a press release Wednesday, the governor highlighted the state's measures to mitigate the virus. The press release says 14 million COVID-19 tests have been administered in Missouri, more than 81,000 treatment courses have been distributed in the state, and more than 8.7 million vaccine doses have been administered. The governor also noted that vaccines are the best way to combat COVID-19.“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.