WHO and US Have Ended COVID-19 Emergency Declarations, What Happens Now?

Published

2 years ago

May 11, 2023

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Share on Pinterest Luis Alvarez/Getty ImagesOver three years into the pandemic, public health organizations are finally saying that the emergency phase is over. The COVID public health emergency declared by U.S. officials is ending on May 11, 2023. The WHO also announced that its ending the emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over three years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials in the U.S. and globally are declaring the pandemic emergency over.

The COVID public health emergency declared by U.S. officials is ending on May 11, 2023.

And the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Friday that its ending the emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WHO held a meeting on May 5th during which health officials discussed the decline in COVID-related hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and deaths.

The spread of COVID-19, though ongoing, no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, the WHO said. How to stop COVID-19 now

The WHO then revealed a five-step plan to manage the long-term spread of COVID-19.

The plan focuses on surveillance, community protection, safe and scalable care, access to countermeasures, and emergency coordination efforts.

While acknowledging the remaining uncertainties posted by potential evolution of SARS-CoV-2, they advised that it is time to transition to long-term management of the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO Emergency Committee on the COVID-19 Pandemic wrote in a statement.

In the U.S. the COVID-19 public health emergency ends on May 11, 2023. Starting May 12th government officials will reduce the frequency and detail in which it tracks COVID, and while vaccines, treatments, and tests will continue to be available, some of these tools may become pricier. Fewer risks with higher levels of immunity

The increase in population immunity, from both vaccination and infections, has lowered the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID.

According to the WHO, 13.3 billion doses of the vaccine have been administered around the world.

And although SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, recent variants dont appear to cause more severe illness.

Immunity has played a large role in this decision as the vaccine and booster continues to protect against severe illness from COVID-19 and its variants, says Bernadette Boden-Albala, the director and founding dean of University of California, Irvines Program in Public Health.

We are fortunate to be out of an acute crisis situation and our society is fatigued from the high stress period when COVID-19 transmission was at its peak, Boden-Albala added. Changes after the end of the COVID-19 emergency

Data collection and national disease surveillance at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will change in frequency, source, or availability. However, the CDC will still have a pulse on COVID at the community level.

Surveillance will now focus on deaths, rather than cases, test positivity rates, and post-vaccination health check-ins.

Additionally the government will stop covering the costs for COVID-19 vaccines. Instead the vaccines will either be covered by peoples medical insurance or they may have to pay out of pocket.

COVID-19 at-home tests may no longer be covered by insurance after the end of the emergency declaration.The WHOs new recommendations to manage COVID-19

Declaring COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern is essentially a communications tool the WHO utilizes to inform member states that it is time to activate their emergency response and preparedness strategies.

These declarations also typically include a set of recommendations, such as travel restrictions and increased surveillance, to prevent the spread of the pathogen.

Dr. Jan Carney, Associate Dean for Public Health and Health Policy and Professor of Medicine at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, says health officials have known for months that the end of the WHO emergency declaration was coming.

Federal agencies and states have been preparing to transition and integrate public health and medical response to COVID-19 into existing public health and health care systems, Carney said.

Although the emergency designation has ended, COVID-19 is still circulating and the WHOs new recommendations aim to help member states enact long-term strategies to prevent, control, and manage the spread of COVID-19.

Moving forward, the WHO recommends that each region focuses on disease surveillance, preparedness for future outbreaks, access to vaccines, care, countermeasures, ongoing risk assessments, and research.

Vaccines, testing, and treatments will continue to be available, but may come at a higher cost for many individuals, particularly those without health insurance. COVID-19 is not over

As the WHO stated, each week, millions of people continue to be infected or re-infected and thousands of people are dying from COVID.

This is merely a transition to how we respond to managing COVID, not the end to COVID-19 infection, says Carney.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 public health emergency in the U.S. ends on May 11, 2023.
There continue to be gaps and inequities in our ability to prepare and respond to new outbreaks and provide care to people.

The WHOs goal is to address these inequities and reinforce our public health foundation for future epidemics and outbreaks.

COVID-19 has not gone away. In my view, we must take this opportunity to remain vigilant and strengthen our public health and health care systems, Carney said.The bottom line:

National and global public health entities have declared the emergency phase of the COVID-19 outbreak over.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is ending the emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 continues to spread, but recent declines in COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths due to high levels of population immunity have allowed the WHO to shift from working on emergency response plans to enacting long-term strategies to control COVID.

World

25% of young children and pregnant women malnourished in Gaza, charity says, as PM vows to fly critical medical cases to UK

Published

3 hours ago

July 26, 2025

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25% of young children and pregnant women malnourished in Gaza, charity says, as PM vows to fly critical medical cases to UK

A charity has warned 25% of young children and pregnant women in Gaza are now malnourished, with Sir Keir Starmer vowing to evacuate children who need “critical medical assistance” to the UK.

MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, said Israel’s “deliberate use of starvation as a weapon” has reached unprecedented levels – with patients and healthcare workers both fighting to survive.

It claimed that, at one of its clinics in Gaza City, rates of severe malnutrition in children under five have trebled over the past two weeks – and described the lack of food and water on the ground as “unconscionable”.

The charity also criticised the high number of fatalities seen at aid distribution sites, with one British surgeon accusing IDF soldiers of shooting civilians “almost like a game of target practice”.

MSF’s deputy medical coordinator in Gaza, Dr Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, said: “Those who go to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s food distributions know that they have the same chance of receiving a sack of flour as they do of leaving with a bullet in their head.”

The UN also estimates that Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 people seeking food – the majority near the militarised distribution sites of the US-backed aid distribution scheme run by the GHF.

In a statement on Friday, the IDF had said it “categorically rejects the claims of intentional harm to civilians”, and reports of incidents at aid distribution sites were “under examination”.

The GHF has also previously disputed that these deaths were connected with its organisation’s operations, with director Johnnie Moore telling Sky News: “We just want to feed Gazans. That’s the only thing that we want to do.”

Israel says it has let enough food into Gaza and has accused the UN of failing to distribute it, in what the foreign ministry has labelled as “a deliberate ploy” to defame the country.

‘Humanitarian catastrophe must end’

In a video message posted on X late last night, Sir Keir Starmer condemned the scenes in Gaza as “appalling” and “unrelenting” – and said “the images of starvation and desperation are utterly horrifying”.

The prime minister added: “The denial of aid to children and babies is completely unjustifiable, just as the continued captivity of hostages is completely unjustifiable.

“Hundreds of civilians have been killed while seeking aid – children, killed, whilst collecting water. It is a humanitarian catastrophe, and it must end.”

Sir Keir confirmed that the British government is now “accelerating efforts” to evacuate children from Gaza who need critical medical assistance, so they can be brought to the UK for specialist treatment.

Israel has now said that foreign countries will be able to airdrop aid into Gaza. While the PM says the UK will now “do everything we can” to get supplies in via this route, he said this decision has come “far too late”.

Last year, the RAF dropped aid into Gaza, but humanitarian organisations warned it wasn’t enough and was potentially dangerous. In March 2024, five people were killed when an aid parachute failed and supplies fell on them.

For now, Sir Keir has rejected calls to follow French President Emmanuel Macron and recognise a Palestinian state – despite more than 220 MPs signing a cross-party letter to demand he takes this step.

The prime minister is instead demanding a ceasefire and “lasting peace” – and says he will only consider an independent state as part of a negotiated peace deal.

Technology

Tesla plans ‘friends and family’ car service in California, regulator says

Published

5 hours ago

July 26, 2025

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Tesla plans 'friends and family' car service in California, regulator says

A vehicle Tesla is using for robotaxi testing purposes on Oltorf Street in Austin, Texas, US, on Sunday, June 22, 2025.

Tim Goessman | Bloomberg | Getty Images

In an earnings call this week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk teased an expansion of his company’s fledgling robotaxi service to the San Francisco Bay Area and other U.S. markets.

But California regulators are making clear that Tesla is not authorized to carry passengers on public roads in autonomous vehicles and would require a human driver in control at all times.

“Tesla is not allowed to test or transport the public (paid or unpaid) in an AV with or without a driver,” the California Public Utilities Commission told CNBC in an email on Friday. “Tesla is allowed to transport the public (paid or unpaid) in a non-AV, which, of course, would have a driver.”

In other words, Tesla’s service in the state will have to be more taxi than robot.

Tesla has what’s known in California as a charter-party carrier permit, which allows it to run a private car service with human drivers, similar to limousine companies or sightseeing services.

The commission said it received a notification from Tesla on Thursday that the company plans to “extend operations” under its permit to “offer service to friends and family of employees and to select members of the public,” across much of the Bay Area.

But under Tesla’s permit, that service can only be with non-AVs, the CPUC said.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles told CNBC that Tesla has had a “drivered testing permit” since 2014, allowing the company to operate AVs with a safety driver present, but not to collect fees. The safety drivers must be Tesla employees, contractors or designees of the manufacturer under that permit, the DMV said.

In Austin, Texas, Tesla is currently testing out a robotaxi service, using its Model Y SUVs equipped with the company’s latest automated driving software and hardware. The limited service operates during daylight hours and in good weather, on roads with a speed limit of 40 miles per hour.

Robotaxis in Austin are remotely supervised by Tesla employees, and include a human safety supervisor in the front passenger seat. The service is now limited to invited users, who agree to the terms of Tesla’s “early access program.”

EV price war is bleeding into robotaxis, intelligent driving: Expert

On Friday, Business Insider, citing an internal Tesla memo, reported that Tesla told staff it planned to expand its robotaxi service to the San Francisco Bay Area this weekend. Tesla didn’t respond to a request for comment on that report.

In a separate matter in California, the DMV has accused Tesla of misleading consumers about the capabilities of its driver assistance systems, previously marketed under the names Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (or FSD).

Tesla now calls its premium driver assistance features, “FSD Supervised.” In owners manuals, Tesla says Autopilot and FSD Supervised are “hands on” systems, requiring a driver at the wheel, ready to steer or brake at all times.

But in user-generated videos shared by Tesla on X, the company shows customers using FSD hands-free while engaged in other tasks. The DMV is arguing that Tesla’s license to sell vehicles in California should be suspended, with arguments ongoing through Friday at the state’s Office of Administrative Hearings in Oakland.

Under California state law, autonomous taxi services are regulated at the state level. Some city and county officials said on Friday that they were out of the loop regarding a potential Tesla service in the state.

Stephanie Moulton-Peters, a member of the Marin County Board of Supervisors, said in a phone interview that she had not heard from Tesla about its plans. She urged the company to be more transparent.

“I certainly expect they will tell us and I think it’s a good business practice to do that,” she said.

Moulton-Peters said she was undecided on robotaxis generally and wasn’t sure how Marin County, located north of San Francisco, would react to Tesla’s service.

“The news of change coming always has mixed results in the community,” she said.

Brian Colbert, another member of the Marin County Board of Supervisors, said in an interview that he’s open to the idea of Tesla’s service being a good thing but that he was disappointed in the lack of communication.

“They should have done a better job about informing the community about the launch,” he said.

Alphabet’s Waymo, which is far ahead of Tesla in the robotaxi market, obtained a number of permits from the DMV and CPUC before starting its driverless ride-hailing service in the state.

Waymo was granted a CPUC driverless deployment permit in 2023, allowing it to charge for rides in the state. The company has been seeking amendments to both its DMV and CPUC driverless deployment permits as it expands its service territory in the state.

— NBC’s David Ingram reported from San Francisco.

WATCH: Waymo testing self-driving cars with human drivers in New York and Philadelphia

Waymo begins testing self-driving cars with human drivers in New York and Philadelphia

US

‘Immigration is killing Europe’: Donald Trump issues warning to leaders as he arrives in Scotland

Published

6 hours ago

July 26, 2025

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'Immigration is killing Europe': Donald Trump issues warning to leaders as he arrives in Scotland

Donald Trump has landed in Scotland ahead of a four-day trip, which includes high-level meetings, praising Sir Keir Starmer as “a good man” but also calling illegal migration a “horrible invasion” that was “killing Europe”.

Crowds gathered at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire amid a major security operation for the US president’s visit.

Mr Trump told reporters: “I like your prime minister. He’s slightly more liberal than I am… but he’s a good man… he got a trade deal done. It’s a good deal for the UK.”

Trump latest: Donald Trump arrives in Scotland

The pair are expected to discuss potential changes to the UK-US trade deal which came into force last month.

Trump left Air Force One to head to Turnberry, one of his Scottish golf courses. Part of the trip will include the opening of another course in Aberdeenshire, billed as “the greatest 36 holes in golf”.

“There’s no place like Turnberry. It’s the best, probably the best course in the world. And I would say Aberdeen is right up there,” the US president said.

“Sean Connery helped get me the [planning] permits. If it weren’t for Sean Connery, we wouldn’t have those great courses,” he added.

During the trip, President Trump will also hold discussions with Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is keen to secure a trade deal with the US.

Mr Trump told reporters there was “a good 50-50 chance” of an agreement with the EU but added there were “maybe 20 different” sticking points.

EU diplomats say a deal could result in a broad 15% tariff on EU goods and half of the 30% Trump is threatening to impose by 1 August.

The US president touched on illegal immigration and gave European leaders a stark warning.

“You better get your act together or you’re not going to have Europe anymore. You got to get your act together,” he said.

“But you’re allowing it to happen to your countries and you got to stop this horrible invasion that’s happening to Europe. Immigration is killing Europe,” he told reporters.

He was also scathing about the installation of wind turbines across Europe.

“Stop the windmills. You’re ruining your countries,” he said. “It’s so sad. You fly over and you see these windmills all over the place, ruining your beautiful fields and valleys and killing your birds.”

Domestically, President Trump faces the biggest political crisis of his second term in office over his administration’s handling of files linked to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.

He faced another round of questions after stepping off Air Force One. “You’re making a big thing over something that’s not a big thing. I’m focused on making deals, not on conspiracy theories that you are,” he said.

Mr Trump added that “now’s not the time” to discuss a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s imprisoned accomplice.

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While the president’s visit did attract some enthusiastic flag-waving supporters at Prestwick Airport, he is also likely to trigger a number of protests, prompting Police Scotland to call in support from other forces in the UK.

The Stop Trump Scotland group has planned demonstrations on Saturday in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dumfries.

About 70% of Scots have an unfavourable opinion of Trump, while 18% have a positive opinion, an Ipsos poll in March found.

President Trump is staying at his Turnberry property on Scotland’s west coast this weekend, before travelling to Aberdeenshire on Monday, where he will open a second 18-hole course.

He is due to return to the UK in September for a state visit hosted by the King – the first world leader in modern times to undertake two UK state visits.