What The End Of Covid Health Emergency Means
The federal government and various states are outlining what happens as the public health emergency winds to a close in May.
CBS Boston:
Massachusetts COVID Public Health Emergency, Vaccine Mandate To End On May 11
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced on Wednesday that the state's COVID-19 public health emergency will end on May 11. The state's vaccine requirement for Executive Branch employees will also end at that time. The date of the public emergency ending aligns with the federal declaration also expiring on May 11. Healey said she also plans to file legislation that would extend some flexibilities, largely around staffing for the health care industry and EMS. (3/15)
WCVB:
Brigham And Women's Doctor Discusses Decision To End COVID-19 Emergency In May
Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes said he does not expect much to change for patients at his hospital. (3/15)
Fierce Healthcare:
Becerra Asks Insurers For Help As COVID-19 Emergency Nears End
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra asked a room full of insurers—a group he has clashed with in recent weeks—for help convincing states to share key health data. Becerra spoke Tuesday during AHIP’s 2023 Medicare, Medicaid, Duals & Commercial Markets Forum in Washington, D.C., on a range of topics. The HHS secretary specifically called for insurers to help him to convince states on sharing data after the agency’s mandatory authority goes away with the COVID-19 public health emergency that ends May 11. (King, 3/14)
Lansing State Journal:
The Federal COVID-19 Emergency Is Ending. What Does It Mean?
Changes are expected to occur after a three-year-long federal health emergency comes to an end, signifying the country's shift in the COVID-19 pandemic. The Biden Administration announced on Jan. 30 it will end the federal public health emergency on May 11. It's expected to have a domino effect on COVID-related services people sought for free in the past three years. "We will always live with COVID," said Sparrow Health System Chief Clinical Officer and Dr. Paul Entler. "There'll be new variants, potentially new vaccines, new therapeutics. So, we understand that with like any other virus, that will always be here with us." (Nurse, 3/15)
Axios:
Unwinding Of COVID Emergency Brings Hurdles For Gender-Affirming Care
The end of the COVID-19 public health emergency could bring new barriers to trans men undergoing hormone therapy, in the way it would eliminate telehealth prescribing of controlled substances including testosterone. (Gonzalez, 3/15)
In other covid news —
Stat:
FDA Stays Mum On Question Of Spring Boosters For Covid
Are you six months out from your Covid-19 bivalent booster and wondering when you’ll be able to get another shot? If you live in the United Kingdom or Canada, you already have your answer. The Canadian and U.K. governments, acting on recommendations from expert committees, plan to offer spring booster shots for people at highest risk of getting severely sick from Covid. But in the United States, there’s been radio silence from the Food and Drug Administration on the question of spring boosters, creating frustration among a small but determined group of people who are keen not to have to wait until the autumn to get another dose of Covid vaccine. (Branswell, 3/16)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Masks No Longer Required At Mercy And SSM Health Medical Facilities
Mercy and SSM Health no longer are requiring visitors, patients and medical staff to wear masks at their medical facilities, becoming on Wednesday the first major hospital systems with facilities in the St. Louis area to drop the key protective measure used during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Munz, 3/15)
