The federal public health emergency due to COVID-19 has been extended until mid-January, effective yesterday, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
Becerra made the announcement about the 90-day extension on Friday.
As McKnight’s Senior Living previously reported, the administration previously announced that it expected to keep renewing the public health emergency through the end of 2021. The government said it would provide 60 days’ notice in advance of ending it.
This is the seventh time that the public health emergency related to COVID-19 has been extended since it began Jan. 31, 2020. Previous HHS Secretary Alex Azar initiated it and then renewed it three times in 2020 — on April 21, July 23 and Oct. 2 — as well as on Jan. 7, 2021. Becerra previously renewed it twice in 2021, on April 15 and July 19. Renewals last 90 days.
Under the renewal, regulatory and funding changes due to the pandemic will continue.
