On Jan. 30, the White House released a statement to officially terminate the national COVID-19 and public health emergencies first declared by the Trump administration on March 13, 2020. The emergency declarations will conclude on May. 11.With their conclusion, access to COVID-19 resources – and more – will become more challenging.
Since the pandemic began in March 2020, state and federal programs have seen adjustments, pauses, expansions, and other measures put in place as we have learned to respond to a different public health landscape. The Children’s Campaign has closely covered the public health emergency and its impact on Colorado kids and families throughout this time.
The end of these declarations means that people with private insurance and people with Medicare may – and likely will – face cost-sharing for COVID-19 tests, whether they be over the counter, PCR, or rapid antigen tests. COVID-19 treatments will also be prone to cost-sharing. People without health coverage will have limited access to vaccines, testing, and treatments. Access to vaccines will last as long as the federal supply does, but just how long that will be is unclear. Kids without insurance will still be able to access vaccines through Vaccines for Children.
In these intervening months, we encourage you to continue combatting COVID-19’s spread in our communities by seeking out vaccination and appropriate boosters and by stocking test kits while they are still free. The government declaring the end of the national COVID-19 emergency does not mean that the virus is no longer spreading, or that it is no longer capable of causing harm. It is not an official declaration that the pandemic is over, or that pandemic response efforts are resolved.
Vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent severe illness and the potential development of more harmful variants that could impact us all. To find a COVID-19 vaccine or booster, search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you. Or, look through Colorado’s COVID-19 vaccination resources. Your household may also still be eligible for additional, free rapid tests through the U.S. Postal Service. Finally, De Ti Depende has many resources and communication delivered in Spanish.
