Biden administration extends COVID public health emergency

By AMANDA SEITZ
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration says the COVID-19 public health emergency will continue through Jan. 11 as officials brace for a spike in cases this winter. The decision comes as the pandemic has faded from the forefront of many people’s minds. Daily deaths and infections are dropping and people — many of them maskless — are returning to schools, work and grocery stores as normal. The public health emergency was first declared in January 2020 and renewed every 90 days since. It’s dramatically changed how health services are delivered. The administration has said it would provide 60 days notice before it ends the public health emergency.