Biden to End COVID National Emergencies on May 11

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden informed Congress on Monday that he will end the twin national emergencies for addressing COVID-19 on May 11, as most of the world has returned closer to normalcy nearly three years after they were first declared.

The move to end the national emergency and public health emergency declarations would formally restructure the federal coronavirus response to treat the virus as an endemic threat to public health that can be managed through agencies’ normal authorities.

This comes at a time when lawmakers have already ended parts of the emergency that kept millions of Americans covered during the pandemic. It would allow the federal government to direct the development of vaccines, treatments and other medical research.

Biden’s announcement comes in a statement opposing resolutions being brought to the floor this week by House Republicans to bring the emergency to an immediate end. House Republicans are also gearing up to launch investigations on the federal government’s response to COVID-19.

On March 13, 2020, then-President Donald Trump declared the COVID-19 pandemic an emergency. Biden has repeatedly extended the emergencies since his January 2021 election and they are due to expire in coming months. According to the White House Biden intends to temporarily extend them both to expire on May 11.

“An abrupt end to the emergency declarations would create wide-ranging chaos and uncertainty throughout the health care system — for states, for hospitals and doctors’ offices, and, most importantly, for tens of millions of Americans,” The Statement of Administration Policy was published by the Office of Management and Budget.

The impact of the largest public health emergency on Americans has been reduced by Congress, as more political pressures intensified to repeal the declaration. Lawmakers have refused for months to fulfill the Biden administration’s request for billions more dollars to extend free COVID vaccines and testing. Biden signed the $1.7 trillion spending package into law last April, ending a rule barring states from dropping people off Medicaid. This move is likely to result in millions of people losing their coverage.

Pfizer claims it will charge $130 per dose. The cost of COVID-19 vaccinations is also likely to rise once the government stops purchasing them. Only 15% have received the updated booster recommended by Pfizer since last autumn.

After the emergency ends, those with private insurance will be able to cover some of the out-of-pocket expenses for vaccines, tests, and treatment. The uninsured will need to pay the entire cost.

Telehealth flexibilities, which were established as COVID-19 hit by the legislature, were expanded by lawmakers. This has allowed many health care systems in the country to deliver regular care using a smartphone or computer.

The Biden administration was previously open to ending the emergency last January, but decided against it due to fears about a possible government shutdown. “winter surge” Provide sufficient time for patients, insurers, and providers to prepare for the end of cases.

According to a senior administration official, the three-month period before expiration will be a transitional period during which the administration will continue its work. “begin the process of a smooth operational wind-down of the flexibilities enabled by the COVID-19 emergency declarations.” An official spoke under the condition of anonymity in order to discuss the announcement prior to it being released.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, more than 1.1 Million Americans have been affected by COVID-19 since 2020.

Case counts have trended downward after a slight bump over the winter holidays, and are significantly below levels seen over the last two winters — though the number of tests performed for the virus and reported to public health officials has sharply decreased.

Moments before the White House’s announcement, Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., accused the president of unnecessarily extending the public health emergency to take action on issues like forgiving some federal student loan debts.

“The country has largely returned to normal,” Cole stated Monday that he introduced a Republican-backed bill to end the current health crisis. “Everyday Americans have returned to work and to school with no restrictions on their activities. It is time that the government acknowledges this reality: the pandemic is over.”