US Biden to End COVID Emergency Measures by May

On Monday, President Joe Biden told the US Congress that he would end two national COVID-19 emergencies on May 11, nearly three years after imposing measures to limit the spread of the virus.

This move would formally restructure the government's response to treat the virus as an endemic public health threat. 

The National Emergency Measures and Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 were put in place in 2020 by President Donald Trump.

Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar first declared a public health emergency on January 31, 2020. Trump later declared the COVID-19 pandemic a national emergency in March. T

he measures have since been extended by the Biden administration, but some have already been terminated.

The move would also shift the development of vaccines and treatments away from the direct management of the federal government.

"This wind-down would align with the Administration's previous commitments to give at least 60 days' notice prior to termination of the PHE," the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said in a statement.

When these measures end, the government will stop paying for vaccines and some tests and treatments. Instead, they will be transferred to insurance and health plans.

The OMB also said mentioned that Biden plans to veto a bill that would eliminate COVID vaccine mandates for healthcare providers in some federal programs.

This week, Republicans also plan to launch investigations into the government's response to the pandemic.

More than 1.1 million people have died in the US from COVID-19 since 2020, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vaccine costs are expected to rise as the US government stops buying them. Pfizer said it would cost about $130 (€119) per dose. 

Provisions for providing health care by phone or computer have been extended for another two years. But the free at-home COVID tests will end.

Biden had previously considered ending the emergency measures but was put off by fears of a winter surge. Officials explained that the next three months would be used to shift the response back to normal methods.