U.S. will keep Covid public health emergency in place at least until mid January

Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra answers questions during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing to discuss reopening schools during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., September 30, 2021.

The U.S. Covid public health emergency will remain in place because the federal government didn't inform states or health-care providers of any intention to lift it.

Stakeholders will be given 60 days notice before the emergency declaration is lifted so they can prepare for normal operations. The public health emergency was extended until January.

The deadline to alert states and health-care providers was not provided by HHS. The emergency will stay in place for at least another 60 days because HHS didn't give notification.

Public health officials expect a surge in Covid this winter as people gather more indoors. As more omicron subvariants become dominant in the U.S., the future is uncertain.

The emergency may need to be renewed if the U.S. fares against Covid this fall and winter.

The U.S. health-care system has been greatly impacted by the public health emergency. Medicaid and the children's health insurance program have dramatically increased public health insurance through the declaration. As of June, there were more than 89 million people in these programs, an all time high.

As many as 15 million people could lose Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program once the programs return to normal operations according to the HHS.

Hospitals and other health-care providers have more flexibility thanks to the emergency declaration.

The public health emergency is still in place for at least another 60 days.