"COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Ends in US; Vaccine Proof Not Required Upon Entry"

The United States' public health emergency for COVID-19 will officially end on the 12th (local time). As a result, travelers will no longer be required to submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination upon entering the U.S. The so-called 'Title 42' policy, which was implemented at border areas to immediately deport illegal entrants under the pretext of quarantine, will also end on this day.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, from 12:00 a.m. on the 12th, many COVID-19 testing and treatment-related measures will become largely fee-based, and quarantine measures will be lifted. This comes about three years after the public health emergency was declared in January 2020 in response to the pandemic. Since then, the U.S. has extended the emergency status 13 times in 90-day increments.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

With the termination of the emergency status, which had provided the legal basis for offering free COVID-19 tests, vaccines, and treatments to the public, individuals will now have to bear the related costs. The Department of Health and Human Services has stated that free vaccines will be provided only until the federal government's current stock is depleted. Treatment for COVID-19 positive cases will remain free only for Medicare beneficiaries until December 2024.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that "vaccines for Medicaid recipients, who are low-income or disabled, and for Medicare beneficiaries, who are mostly elderly, will be guaranteed for the time being," but "eventually, both vaccines and treatments will be handled in the commercial market where individuals must pay." CNN reported that rapid antigen tests conducted in hospitals cost about $51, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests cost around $91.

Related quarantine measures will also be lifted. From the morning of the 12th, foreign nationals entering the U.S. by air, land, or sea will no longer need to submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Local media reported that Novak Djokovic, the world-renowned male tennis player who was unable to participate in last year's US Open due to refusing vaccination, can now freely compete in the U.S. The vaccine mandate for federal employees and federal contractors will also end.

Additionally, monitoring of COVID-19 cases will be scaled back, and the response team, including COVID-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha, is expected to be disbanded soon.

However, warnings have been issued that the end of the emergency does not mean the end of COVID-19 response. Considering various variants, resurgence remains possible at any time. The CDC confirmed that over 1,000 people still die weekly from COVID-19, with the majority being aged 75 and older.

Coordinator Jha stated, "It is really important to keep fighting." Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra also pointed out, "We may be out of the public health emergency, but the public health threat from COVID-19 is not over." More than 1.1 million deaths due to COVID-19 have been recorded in the U.S. so far.

In addition, the Title 42 policy, which was implemented under the pretext of quarantine, will also end on the same day. Introduced in March 2020 during the Donald Trump administration, Title 42 aimed to block the entry of foreigners who might spread infection and to immediately deport illegal entrants. Despite criticism from progressive circles, the policy was maintained under the Joe Biden administration due to concerns over COVID-19 spread.

With the end of Title 42, the previous Title 8 policy will be reinstated, which allows for the rapid deportation of individuals who illegally arrive at the U.S. border but permits them to stay in the U.S. during asylum application and review periods. Local forecasts predict a surge in illegal entry attempts at the southern border and elsewhere following this change.