The Covid-19 pandemic is no longer a global emergency, reports the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The announcement brings an end to the virus that is thought responsible for the death of 20 million people over the last three years.
However, the health body said although the emergency period was over the virus had not come an end.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general, said:
“It’s with great hope that I declare Covid-19 over as a global health emergency.
“That does not mean Covid-19 is over as a global health threat.”
“The virus is here to stay is still killing people and evolving.
He said:
“The worst thing any country could do now is to use this news as a reason to let down its guard, to dismantle the systems it has built, or to send the message to its people that Covid-19 is nothing to worry about.”
If the situation worsened, he said he would not hesitate to declare another health emergency.
He said: “I emphasise that this is not a snap decision. It is a decision that has been considered carefully for some time, planned for, and made on the basis of a careful analysis of the data.
“Covid has changed our world and it has changed us.”
The coronavirus has caused an estimated 764 million cases worldwide and more than five billion people have received at least one dose of vaccine.
Mr Tedros added:
He said: “At one level, this is a moment for celebration.
“We have arrived at this moment thanks to the incredible skill and selfless dedication of health and care workers.”
“However, this announcement also a time for reflection.
“Covid-19 has left, and continues to leave, deep scars on our world.
“Those scars must serve as a permanent reminder of the potential for new viruses to emerge, with devastating consequences.
“As a global community, the suffering we have endured, the painful lessons we have learned, the investments we have made and the capacities we have built must not go to waste.”