Tue, Nov 12, 2024 | Jumada al-Awwal 11, 1446 | DXB ktweather icon0°C

US will renew Covid-19 public health emergency in January

This will allow millions of Americans to keep getting free tests, vaccines and treatments until at least April of next year

Published: Sat 12 Nov 2022, 12:50 AM

  • By
  • Reuters

Top Stories

AP file

AP file

The United States in January will extend the Covid-19 pandemic status as a public health emergency, allowing millions of Americans to keep getting free tests, vaccines and treatments until at least April of next year, a Biden administration official said on Friday.

The possibility of a winter surge in Covid cases and the need for more time to transition out of the public health emergency to a private market were two factors that contributed to the decision, the official said.

The public health emergency was initially declared in January 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic began, and has been renewed each quarter since. But the government in August began signalling it planned to let it expire in Jan.

The US Department of Health and Human Services has promised to give states 60 days notice before letting the emergency expire, which would have been on Friday if it did not plan on renewing it again in January.



Next Story