White House To End COVID Emergency Declarations in May

The White House has announced its intention to extend the COVID-19 national emergency and public health emergency until May 11, 2023, at which point, both the national and public health emergency declarations will end. Currently, the emergency declarations are set to expire respectively on March 1, 2023 for the national health emergency and April 11, 2023 for the public health emergency.  

The Biden-Harris Administration’s wind-down would align with the its previous commitments to give at least 60 days’ notice prior to termination of the public health emergency declaration for COVID-19. It comes following proposals in the US House of Representatives to end the declarations earlier (H.R. 382 a bill, and H.J. 7, a joint  resolution.  The COVID-19 national emergency and public health emergency were declared by the Trump Administration in 2020. 

The White House said that continuation of the emergency declarations until May 11 does not impose any restriction at on individual’s conduct with regard to COVID-19. “They do not impose mask mandates or vaccine mandates,” said a January 30, 2023 Statement of Administration Policy, as issued by the Office of Management and Budget.  “They do not restrict school or business operations. They do not require the use of any medicines or tests in response to cases of COVID-19. “ 

Source: Office of Management and Budget