US HHS Secretary Becerra extended
the federal public health emergency for 90 days on April 12,
placing the expiration – for now – at or around July 13-16.
Becerra has previously promised to provide 60 days’ notice before
ending the emergency.
The federal emergency provides health care enrollment
flexibility, allows counties to delay annual Medicaid
redeterminations, although CMS has now given states 12 months to
“catch up” and expands access to telehealth services which
will remain in place for five months after the PH emergency ends,
and fast-tracks federal COVID-19 tests, vaccines, and treatments.
California continues to maintain the state public health
emergency concurrently with the federal declaration.
As of Thursday, April 28, California’s daily case rate is now 8.7
per 100,000 residents, with test positivity at 2.7%.CDPH last
Friday reported positivity at 3.1% but in Tuesday’s update
revised that day’s figure to 2.8%. It still marked the state’s
highest measurement since Feb. 25, after falling as low as 1.2%
in late March.
