In January, the United States will extend the status of the COVID-19 pandemic as a public health emergency, allowing millions of Americans to receive free tests, vaccines, and treatment until at least the end of April. According to a Biden administration official on Friday.
The possibility of a winter spike in COVID cases and the need for more time to transition from a public health crisis to the private market were two factors that influenced the decision, the official said.
The public health emergency was originally declared in January 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic began, and has been updated quarterly since then. But in August, the government began announcing plans to let it expire in January.
The US Department of Health and Human Services promised to give states 60 days before the state of emergency ends, which would have been Friday if it hadn’t been planned. renew it again in January.
