The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency.
The pandemic saw most of the world plunged into lockdown in March 2020, and three years on life continues to get back to normal.
In a statement, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus 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."
It was largely acknowledged that many areas of the world have returned to normal since the upheaval in 2020 and 2021, but the economic impact is still being felt.
During the lockdowns, many businesses were forced to close their doors resulting in many losing their livelihoods and being plunged into poverty, as per Sky News.
The decision to downgrade the alert level was made yesterday (May 4) after a group of experts was gathered.
"COVID has changed our world and it has changed us," Ghebreyesus said while noting that despite the downgrade of the alert level, there was still a risk of potential variants breaking out in the future.
"This virus is here to stay. It is still killing, and it is still changing. The risk remains of new variants emerging that cause new surges in cases and deaths," he warned.
"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."
Ghebreyesus continued: "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, the innovation of vaccine researchers and developers, the tough decisions governments have had to make in the face of changing evidence, and the sacrifices that all of us have made as individuals, families, and communities to keep ourselves and each other safe.
"At another level, this is a moment for reflection. #COVID19 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."
There have been over six million Covid related deaths since its outbreak, with an estimated 764 million cases worldwide. Around five billion people opted to receive at least one dose of the vaccine, Sky reported.
The pandemic has been on a downward trend for some time, and this news will be welcomed across the world, though the message is to remain alert and not get complacent.