Turning the Tide: COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Ends!

Thursday (11th May 2023) marked the end of the US COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), representing a pivotal shift in the country's ongoing efforts to combat the worldwide pandemic.

Reflecting on the Journey

The PHE was announced by then US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in January 2020 to implement temporary measures and allocate resources to better contain the pandemic, Xinhua news agency reported.

Since taking office in 2021, US President Joe Biden has repeatedly extended the emergency.

The Biden administration's decision to end the emergency comes as COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations have declined dramatically due to the availability of vaccines, antiviral treatments, and widespread exposure to the virus.

The pandemic claimed at least 6 million hospitalizations, and 1.1 million deaths in the United States, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Navigating the New Normal

The end of the PHE will bring significant changes in how the country responds to the virus. The CDC will scale back its efforts to track the virus. Most tools, like vaccines, treatments, and testing, will remain available, but some tools, like certain data sources and reporting, will change.

The Biden administration also ended the COVID-19 vaccine requirements for federal employees, federal contractors, and international air travelers on Thursday.

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While public health experts agree the country has many more tools to fight COVID-19 today, they warn the virus will remain a persistent threat to the nation's battered healthcare system.

Source-IANS