I have not seen any official end to COVID pandemic either in the U.S. or globally but what president has ever released emergency powers overnight... I think texas state of emergency just expired today actually and legislatures were calling for it to end back in May....
Some of the federal powers exercised under the declaration of emergency actually helped a lot of people and providers so they are not going to roll those back. For example, beneficiaries in traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage pay no cost sharing for COVID-19 at-home testing (up to eight tests per month), testing-related services, and certain treatments. If it loosened restrictions on Medicare and Medicaid why should the federal government remove them immediately if it benefits the people.
All the mask mandates were dropped months ago.
https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-cov...d-implications-for-coverage-costs-and-access/
A lot of the states dropped a lot of the stuff that was involved with those emergency powers as in they believe they no longer need it.
I think Medicare and Medicaid involving the "no cost sharing for Covid-19" at-home testing will be the last to go. Some are even using it as a sign that the Pandemic is over when they see that no cost disappear.
I expect it to be gone by end of year but I read somewhere that the GOP plans to get rid of all of it at once when they take control of the House & Senate even though the American people will still be financially struggling to keep up with the rising costs of living because of inflation.
Personally, Biden should have never said what he said about the Pandemic being over because it will "discourage" many people that are thinking about the bivalent booster shots, especially those that are the most vulnerable such as people with compromised immune systems, disabilities, multi-family households and people of color. It may also create a problem for vaccinations for other diseases.
- There are still about 400 people on average that are dying per day from a Covid illness.
Yet, if we can get the Deaths per day to less than 100 per day and can weather any new Variants of Concern subvariants showing up...I would then declare the Pandemic to be over.
wrbtrader
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