US will stop declaring emergencies under COVID-19: President Joe Biden’s administration said on Monday that COVID-19 emergency declarations will be lifted on May 11—nearly three years after the US enacted stringent pandemic controls to stop the disease’s spread.
2020 saw the implementation of the COVID-19 national emergency and public health emergency (PHE) by then-President Donald Trump. “Biden regularly expanded the policies, providing millions of Americans access to free tests, immunizations, and treatments.”
“The White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced in a statement that they will renew the declarations until May 11 and then cancel them, instead of letting them expire in the upcoming months.”
According to an administration policy statement from OMB, “This wind-down would be consistent with the Administration’s prior commitments to give at least 60 days’ notice prior to terminating the PHE.”
In accordance with the PHE declaration, the government has begun covering the cost of COVID-19 vaccines, some exams, and specific treatments. “After it expires, commercial insurance and public health programs will absorb those expenses.”
“OMB stated that the expiration of PHE will end Title 42 orders sending migrants from Nicaragua, Cuba, and Haiti caught trying to cross the US-Mexico border back to Mexico.”
Biden would veto a proposed bill in the US Congress that would lift the COVID-19 vaccine requirements for medical professionals working on specific federal programs, according to a separate statement from OMB.
Although there are COVID-19 fewer cases in the country, the disease still claims the lives of more than 500 people per day, according to government statistics.