President Joe Biden intends to end the Covid-19 national and public health emergencies on May 11, the White House said Monday.
The White House, in a statement of administration policy announcing opposition to two Republican measures to end the emergencies, said the national emergency and public health emergency authorities declared in response to the pandemic would each be extended one final time to May 11.
“This wind down would align with the Administration’s previous commitments to give at least 60 days’ notice prior to termination of the (public health emergency),” the statement said.
The statement added, “To be clear, continuation of these emergency declarations until May 11 does not impose any restriction at all on individual conduct with regard to COVID-19. They do not impose mask mandates or vaccine mandates. 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.”
The White House issued the statement in response to a pair of measures in front of the House that would end the public health emergency and the Covid-19 national emergency. The administration argues that the bills are unnecessary because it intends to end the emergencies anyway.
The statement also notes that passage of the measures ahead of May 11 would have unintended consequences, such as disrupting the administration’s plans for ending certain policies that are authorized by the emergencies.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
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