End of the Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency



The federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) declaration officially ended on May 11, 2023. Most tools—such as vaccines, treatments, and testing—remain available, but the CDC’s ability to collect and share certain data has changed. The CDC is updating its guidance and reporting practices to reflect these changes. For example, states are no longer required to report new COVID-19 cases, and the CDC now relies more on hospitalization and wastewater data to track the virus, rather than daily case counts.

For more details, visit the CDC’s official announcement and the End of PHE information page.

Looking ahead: The end of the PHE marks a shift from emergency response to long-term management of COVID-19. While most public health tools remain available, data reporting will be less centralized, and the U.S. will rely more on hospital and wastewater surveillance. This transition may impact how quickly trends are detected and how public health responses are coordinated in the future.