Arizona governor ends 2-year-old virus state of emergency
By BOB CHRISTIE
Associated Press
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has ended the state of emergency he declared at the start of the coronavirus pandemic more than two years ago. The formal end of the statewide emergency came as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations dip to levels not seen since summer 2020. Deaths are falling at a slower pace. Ducey says the virus remains a threat, but vaccines and the state’s response have made it less of a critical issue. The Department of Health Services said the state reached a milestone of 2 million reported COVID-19 cases on Wednesday and deaths topped 29,000. Most of this week’s new virus cases were older ones that were reported late.