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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; As Luzerne County moves into the &ldquo;green phase&rdquo; on Friday, County Manager David Pedri announced that the emergency declaration will end Thursday.
				&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been an eventful three months to say the least, and while we are ever cautious for a second outbreak, I&rsquo;m proud of how far the county came as quickly as we did in fighting this pandemic,&rdquo; Pedri said.
				In making the announcement Wednesday, Pedri said Luzerne County officially ends the state of emergency declaration that was enacted back in March after the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 appeared in the county.
				Pedri said the emergency declaration paved the way for quicker access to federal and state funds and resources. He said the emergency declaration is no longer necessary after a drastic decline in COVID-19 cases and the county&rsquo;s upcoming move to the &ldquo;green phase,&rdquo; the final step in Gov. Tom Wolf&rsquo;s reopening plan.
				&ldquo;I believe no other county came as far as fast as Luzerne County did when dealing with this pandemic,&rdquo; Pedri said. &ldquo;At one point we were fifth in the state for positive cases and had one of the highest per capita rates. Thanks to the hard work and sacrifices of every Luzerne County citizen, we turned that around and kept our friends and families safe.&rdquo;
				The end of the emergency declaration also brings about the end of the Luzerne County Crisis Management Team which was formed to address various issues related to COVID-19 in our area. The team, which was made up completely of volunteers, included local government officials, business leaders and other community members who were divided into subcommittees, such as health, education and public outreach, to best address the needs of Luzerne County residents and business owners.
				While the end of the emergency declaration is a positive step in overcoming this crisis, Pedri said it does not mean the county is in the clear.
				&ldquo;In the early weeks of the local outbreak we saw how quickly the virus can spread and therefore must continue to remain cautious, following public health guidelines including social distancing and proper hygiene,&rdquo; Pedri said.
				Pedri said the county extends a sincere thank you to all essential workers and the residents of Luzerne County who have done and are continuing to do their part to curb to the spread of COVID-19.
				&ldquo;We are the &lsquo;Valley with a Heart&rsquo; and your actions prove that when needed, we step up and take care of home,&rdquo; Pedri said.
				Pedri also thanked the media for getting information out to citizens quickly and consistently.
				&ldquo;Emergency Management training shows that media are a vital part of the process and the Northeastern PA media has done a phenomenal job throughout,&rdquo; Pedri said.

Luzerne County to end emergency declaration on Thursday