Politico reported that HHS has decided to extend the PHE. This is good news for healthcare providers. The coronavirus has started to increase again in several states.

Healthcare providers were concerned that the health emergency would continue without the numerous waivers and regulatory flexibilities that have recently been introduced. These tools have been essential to provide needed patient care while dealing with a difficult financial situation.

The news will come as a relief to health care groups who worried the declaration might not be renewed before it lapses July 25. HHS has renewed the public health emergency for the coronavirus, ensuring that critical resources to fight the pandemic can continue while much of the country battles rising caseloads.

HHS Secretary Alex Azar declared the coronavirus a public health emergency in late January, shortly after Covid-19 emerged in the U.S., and the declaration was previously extended in April. Azar on Thursday evening announced through Twitter that he signed a renewal.

The emergency powers have helped the administration usher in a massive scale-up of telehealth visits, emergency approval of new drugs and tests and new flexibility for government-run health insurance programs. They have also let cash-strapped state and local health departments deploy federally funded personnel to focus on the virus.

Governors and health groups had been urging the administration to authorize an extension, warning the pandemic response would be hampered without it. Vice President Mike Pence and Azar earlier this month told governors the emergency would likely be extended but had stopped short of providing a firm commitment.

Public health emergencies last for 90 days, so the latest renewal will expire in late October without another extension. The expiration will come at the start of a flu season that federal health experts believe could be especially dangerous with the coronavirus still circulating.