World News | Biden administration extends COVID public health emergency

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (AP) The Biden administration said Thursday that the COVID-19 public health emergency will continue through Jan. 11 as officials brace for a surge in cases this winter.

The decision comes at a time when the pandemic has faded from the minds of many. Daily deaths and infections are falling, and people — many of them not wearing masks — are returning to schools, workplaces and grocery stores as normal.

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First declared in January 2020 and updated every 90 days since then, the public health emergency has dramatically changed the way health services are delivered.

The announcement enables free emergency authorization of COVID vaccines, tests and treatments. It expanded Medicaid coverage to millions of people, many of whom would be at risk of losing Medicaid once the emergency ended. It temporarily opened up telehealth services to Medicare recipients, enabled doctors to charge the same for those visits, and encouraged healthcare networks to adopt telehealth technology.

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Republicans have been urging the administration to end the public health emergency since the beginning of the year.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden is urging Congress to provide billions more in aid to pay for COVID-19 vaccines and testing. The federal government stopped sending free COVID-19 tests by mail last month, saying funding had run out.

Public health officials are urging people age 5 and older to get an updated COVID-19 booster alongside their flu shot this fall, ahead of the expected winter coronavirus surge and nasty flu season this fall.

According to White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha, as of last weekend, about 13 million people had received update boosters for the omicron variant.

The government has said it will give 60 days’ notice before ending the public health emergency. (Associated Press)

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