By: Emily H. Lineweaver
On February 18, 2022, President Biden announced he is extending the national emergency concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. As reported previously, it was set to expire on March 1, 2022, but with President Biden’s announcement, it will now extend beyond March 1, 2022.
In his letter to Congress providing notice of the extension, the President said, “The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause significant risk to the public health and safety of the Nation… and it is essential to continue to combat and respond to COVID-19 with the full capacity and capability of the Federal Government.”
The National Emergencies Act, which grants the power to the President to both declare and extend a national emergency, gives the federal government the ability to provide additional financial resources and loosens certain legal formalities in order to allow for a better response to a national emergency. In a letter dated January 11, 2022, the American Hospital Association said that the national emergency declarations concerning COVID-19 have made available the “flexibilities and resources that allowed – and continue to allow – our members to use the vital tools necessary to combat the pandemic,” and have “proven critical in equipping hospitals and health systems with the tools and resources necessary to manage the recent COVID-19 surges and ensure high quality care in this unprecedented environment.”
