# “Out Like a Lion:” Terminating the COVID-19 National Public Health Emergency

## TL;DR

Ending the U.S. public health emergency for COVID-19 brings legal and practical challenges despite signaling a return to normalcy.

## Contribution

Highlights the complexities of concluding the national public health emergency for COVID-19.

## Key findings

- Terminating the emergency may lead to legal uncertainties.
- Practical challenges remain in managing post-pandemic health systems.

## Abstract

From its inception, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a disruptive force on U.S. health care and public health systems. President Biden’s announced termination of the national public health emergency on May 11, 2023 portends a return to normalcy and relief for Americans from the greatest infectious disease scourge the nation has ever faced. In reality, closing out this pandemic presents a tempest of legal and practical complications.