On October 2, 2020, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar signed a renewal of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). It reads:
“As a result of the continued consequences of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, on this date and after consultation with public health officials as necessary, I, Alex M. Azar II, Secretary of Health and Human Services, pursuant to the authority vested in me under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, do hereby renew, effective October 23, 2020, my January 31, 2020, determination, that I previously renewed on April 21, 2020 and July 23, 2020, that a public health emergency exists and has existed since January 27, 2020, nationwide.”
Due to the effective date of this renewal, the COVID-19 PHE is now slated to end January 21, 2021.