City officials provided a big sigh of relief Tuesday to people across Brooklyn as they declared the measles outbreak over.
The city lifted the emergency order that was declared back in April on Tuesday. Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot announced that two incubation periods, or 42 days, have passed since the last person with measles was infectious.
They add that there has been no ongoing local transmission, with no new cases in August.
Barbot says the outbreak was centered in the Jewish Orthodox areas of Borough Park and Williamsburg, but that since the outbreak started last October, there has been a 40% increase in measles immunizations in those neighborhoods.
The city spent more than $6 million to get the crisis under control.
Barbot says he is grateful that none of the 654 people infected during the outbreak died. He thanked community members who worked to educate those who opted to avoid vaccines.