Photo: Courtesy of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11, 2020.
Four years later, Massachusetts is still tallying thousands of cases each month.
State Department of Public Health data showed COVID-19 cases rose between Nov. 5, 2023 and Jan. 6, 2024. During that span, the state recorded 42,591 COVID-19 cases.
Since then, the DPH has recorded 27,618 cases across the state.
Those counts do not include COVID-19 cases detected using at-home tests, according to the DPH. The department said its testing strategies have changed since 2020 and current numbers should not be compared to statistics from earlier in the pandemic.
Despite the state tallying thousands of cases, life in Massachusetts has changed drastically since the days of social distancing and curbside pickup.
Read More: CDC Updates COVID Isolation Guidelines For People Who Test Positive
Five days after the WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, former Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker closed schools across the state.
Bay Staters started wearing masks and social distancing that spring. Massachusetts first lifted its mask mandate more than a year later.
It was not until May 5, 2023 that the WHO dropped its "public health emergency" status for the virus.
"This does not mean the pandemic itself is over, but the global emergency it caused is – for now," WHO officials said.
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