These 10 states still have COVID emergency orders in place

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announced Monday that she will end the state’s COVID-19 state of emergency amid falling case numbers and rising criticism.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has faded as a major concern for much of the American public, there are still 10 states across the U.S. with emergency orders in place.

States first declared public emergencies in March 2020 and governors kept renewing them until around the spring of 2022, when the pandemic eased after a brutal winter surge driven by the omicron variant.

Unless renewed, nearly all of the emergency declarations in the remaining 10 states will expire by the beginning of 2023.

Here are the 10 states with orders still in effect, as of Sept. 12.

California

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) extended the COVID-19 state of emergency in June. But he has also been “responsibly winding down” pandemic executive orders, leaving 5 percent of COVID-related provisions in place, according to a June 17 statement from Newsom’s office.

“As California navigates the evolving pandemic, the state remains laser-focused on keeping Californians safe while advancing our ongoing recovery,” Newsom said. “We’re continuing to deploy proven strategies and programs that allow us to swiftly and effectively respond to changing pandemic conditions, take on equity gaps, and keep us moving forward.”

Connecticut

The state has an emergency declaration in place for COVID-19 until Dec. 28, 2022, or until the federal government’s public health emergency ends, whichever comes first.

Gov. Ned Lamont (D) said in a letter to the state legislature that it was beneficial for the state to keep the emergency, primarily to assist with food insecurity.

During the emergency, the federal government is authorized to distribute more assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Delaware

Gov. John Carney (D) last renewed the public health emergency for COVID-19 on Aug. 19. It will expire on Sept. 18 unless renewed.

Washington

With the state experiencing declining COVID-19 death rates, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) announced he would end the public health emergency on Oct. 31.

“We’ve come a long way the past two years in developing the tools that allow us to adapt and live with COVID-19,” Inslee said in a statement.

“Ending this order does not mean we take it less seriously or will lose focus on how this virus has changed the way we live. We will continue our commitments to the public’s well-being, but simply through different tools that are now more appropriate for the era we’ve entered.”

New Mexico

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) extended the state’s public health emergency for a month starting on Aug. 17. It will expire on Sept. 15 unless renewed.

Upon renewing the order, she wrote: “Due to the continued spread of COVID-19, it is necessary for all branches of State government to continue taking actions to minimize transmission of COVID-19 and reduce its attendant physical and economic harms.”

Texas

Gov. Greg Abbott (R) last renewed the state’s public health emergency in August and will have to decide whether to renew it again later this month.

Abbott said the COVID-19 pandemic still presents an “imminent threat of disaster for all counties in the State of Texas.”

Illinois

Gov. JB Pritzker (D) extended the public health emergency in August and it will remain in effect until at least Sept. 17.

Pritzker said more than 34,500 Illinoisans have died in the pandemic and added “predicting what will happen in the future in this pandemic continues to be a difficult task.”

Kansas

The Kansas legislature passed a law this year extending emergency powers through January 2023, primarily to assist overburdened health care workers.

West Virginia

Gov. Jim Justice (R) first declared a public health emergency in March 2020 and has yet to lift the order. He continues to give regular updates to the public about the state’s pandemic response.

Rhode Island

Gov. Daniel McKee extended the public health emergency earlier this month, citing “the dangers to health and life posed by SARS-CoV-2.” It will expire after Sept. 30 unless renewed.

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