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A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 1 February 2023
President Biden to end COVID-19 emergencies on May 11

Continued fromFront tems around the country
to regularly deliver care by
Then-President Donald smartphone or computer.
Trump’s Health and Hu- The Biden administration
man Services Secretary had previously considered
Alex Azar first declared a ending the emergency
public health emergen- last year, but held off amid
cy on Jan. 31, 2020, and concerns about a potential
Trump later declared the “winter surge” in cases and
COVID-19 pandemic a to provide adequate time
national emergenc y that for providers, insurers and
March. The emergencies patients to prepare for its
have been repeatedly ex- end. Officials said the ad-
tended by Biden since he ministration would use the
took office in January 2021, next three months to tran-
and are set to expire in the sition the response to con-
coming months. The White ventional methods, warn-
House said Biden plans to ing that an immediate end
extend them both briefly to to the emergency authori-
end on May 11. ties “would sow confusion
“An abrupt end to the and chaos into this critical
emergency declarations wind-down.”
would create wide-rang- “To be clear, continuation
ing chaos and uncertain- Medical workers fill a hallway in the acute care unit, where about half the patients are COVID-19 of these emergency dec-
ty throughout the health positive or in quarantine after exposure, of Harborview Medical Center, Jan. 14, 2022, in Seattle. larations until May 11 does
care system — for states, Medical workers fill a hallway in the acute care unit, where about half the patients are COVID-19 not impose any restriction
positive or in quarantine after exposure, of Harborview Medical Center, Jan. 14, 2022, in Seattle.
for hospitals and doctors’ Associated Press at all on individual conduct
offices, and, most impor- with regard to COVID-19,”
tantly, for tens of millions of have refused for months have been experiencing,” the recommended, updat- the administration said.
Americans,” the Office of to fulfill the Biden adminis- said Larry Levitt, the ex- ed booster that has been “They do not impose mask
Management and Budget tration’s request for billions ecutive vice president for offered since last fall. mandates or vaccine man-
wrote in a Statement of Ad- more dollars to extend free health policy at Kaiser Fam- People with private insur- dates. They do not restrict
ministration Policy. COVID vaccines and test- ily Foundation. “That said, ance could have some school or business opera-
More than 1.1 million peo- ing. And the $1.7 trillion hundreds of people a day out-of-pocket costs for tions. They do not require
ple in the U.S. have died spending package passed are still dying from COVID.” vaccines, especially if they the use of any medicines
from COVID-19 since 2020, last year and signed into Still, some things will change go to an out-of-network or tests in response to cases
according to the Cen- law by Biden put an end for Americans once the provider, Levitt said. Free of COVID-19.” Case counts
ters for Disease Control to a rule that barred states emergency expires, Levitt at-home COVID tests will have trended downward
and Prevention, including from kicking people off pointed out. also come to an end. And after a slight bump over the
about 3,700 last week. Medicaid, a move that is The costs of COVID-19 vac- hospitals will not get extra winter holidays, and are
Congress has already blunt- expected to see millions of cines are also expected payments for treating CO- significantly below levels
ed the reach of the public people lose their coverage to skyrocket once the VID patients. seen over the last two win-
health emergency that after April 1. government stops buying Legislators did extend for ters — though the number
had the most direct impact “In some respects, the them, with Pfizer saying another two years tele- of tests performed for the
on Americans, as political Biden administration is it will charge as much as health flexibilities that were virus and reported to public
calls to end the declara- catching up to what a lot $130 per dose. Only 15% of introduced as COVID-19 health officials has sharply
tion intensified. Lawmakers of people in the country Americans have received hit, leading health care sys- decreased.q

Treasury to increase borrowing amid

debt ceiling standoff

borrowing authority. wants the cap raised with- and raising the cost of cap-
The U.S. plans to borrow out any preconditions. The ital — among other nega-
$932 billion during the new House Republican tive impacts," Ben Harris,
January-to-March quarter. majority is seeking to secure Treasury's assistant secre-
That's $353 billion more than spending cuts in exchange tary for economic policy,
projected last October, for a debt limit increase. said in a statement.
due to a lower beginning- Treasury officials say the Treasury Secretary Janet
of-quarter cash balance debate over the debt ceil- Yellen, in a letter to con-
and projections of lower- ing poses a risk to the U.S. gressional leaders earlier
than-expected income tax financial position. this month, said the depart-
The Department of the Treasury's seal outside the Treasury receipts and higher spend- "Even just the threat that ment had begun resorting
Department building in Washington on May 4, 2021. ing. the U.S. government might to " extraordinary measures
Associated Press The increased borrowing fail to meet its obligations " to avoid a federal govern-
By FATIMA HUSSEIN its borrowing during the first will take place as Demo- may cause severe harm ment default.
Associated Press three months of 2023, even crats and the White House to the economy by erod- She said it's "critical that
WASHINGTON (AP) — The as the federal government push for Congress to in- ing household and business Congress act in a timely
Treasury Department said is bumping up against a crease the federal debt confidence, injecting vola- manner" to raise or suspend
Monday it plans to increase $31.4 trillion limit on its legal limit. President Joe Biden tility into financial markets, the debt limit.q