COVID-19 is fading. But ending the health emergency could leave us vulnerable
As the coronavirus releases its deadly grip on the United States and pandemic rules governing daily life fall away, is it time to declare the national public health emergency over?
More than one-third of Americans think so, polls show. So do dozens of Republican members of Congress who have called on President Joe Biden to “unwind” the emergency declaration “so our country can get back to normal.”
After two years that saw nearly 80 million infections in the U.S. and almost 1 million COVID-19 deaths, the desire to move on is understandable. But experts warn that ending the health emergency now would leave Americans in a vulnerable position if a new variant sparks another surge and officials lack the legal authority to respond.
It would also terminate the Food and Drug Administration’s power to fast-track authorization of
