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HHS.gov
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Breadcrumb

  1. HHS
  2. Coronavirus
  3. COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE)
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19)
    • Vaccines
    • Treatments
    • Testing
      • Community-Based Testing Sites
      • Diagnostic Data & Reporting
      • Testing & Diagnostics Working Group
      • Diagnostics Design-A-Thon
    • Masks
    • COVID-19 Care for Uninsured Individuals
    • Mental Health
    • Public Health Emergency

COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE)

Based on current COVID-19 trends, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is planning for the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19, declared under Section 319 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, to expire at the end of the day on May 11, 2023. Our response to the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, remains a public health priority, but thanks to the administration’s whole-of-government approach to combatting the virus, we are in a better place in our response than we were three years ago, and we can transition away from the emergency phase.

Over the last two years, the Biden Administration has effectively implemented the largest adult vaccination program in U.S. history, with nearly 270 million Americans receiving at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine.

We have come to this point in our fight against the virus because of our historic investments and our efforts to mitigate its worst impacts. Addressing COVID-19 remains a significant public health priority for the Administration, and over the next few months we will transition our COVID-19 policies, as well as the current flexibilities enabled by the COVID-19 emergency declarations, into improving standards of care for patients. We will work closely with partners, including state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies, industry, and advocates, to ensure an orderly transition.

Resources

May 11, 2023 HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra Statement on End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

May 10, 2023 HHS Fact Sheet: Telehealth Flexibilities and Resources and the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

May 10, 2023 HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra Letter to U.S. Governors on the End of the COVID PHE

May 9, 2023 HHS Fact Sheet: End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

May 5, 2023 CMS Updated Frequently Asked Questions on CMS Waivers, Flexibilities, and the End of the COVID-19 PHE

April 26, 2023 CMS Fact Sheet: What Do I Need to Know? CMS Waivers, Flexibilities, and the Transition Forward from the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

April 26, 2023 CMS Frequently Asked Questions on CMS Waivers, Flexibilities, and the End of the COVID-19 PHE

April 18, 2023 Fact Sheet: HHS Announces ‘HHS Bridge Access Program For COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments’ to Maintain Access to COVID-19 Care for the Uninsured

April 14, 2023 Fact Sheet: HHS Announces Intent to Amend the Declaration Under the PREP Act for Medical Countermeasures Against COVID-19

April 14, 2023 HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra Letter to U.S. Governors on Intent to Amend the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act)

March 7, 2023 Letter to U.S. governors from HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra thanking governors for your efforts over the last three years during the coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) pandemic

February 27, 2023 CMS Fact Sheet: CMS Waivers, Flexibilities, and the Transition Forward from the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

February 9, 2023 Fact Sheet: COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Transition Roadmap

February 9, 2023 HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra Letter to U.S. Governors on the End of the COVID PHE

Content created by Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA)
Content last reviewed May 16, 2023
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