This week, the White House informed states that President Joe Biden has approved an extension of Federal Emergency Management Agency COVID-19 relief until April 1, 2022. That means all state, local, and tribal governments will continue to get 100% reimbursements for efforts to continue to combat the pandemic, like vaccination clinics and public campaigns to encourage people to get the shots. The extension includes 100% federal reimbursement for national guard troops who have been deployed to help hospitals still overwhelmed by coronavirus patients. There are still states in that position. The entire state of Idaho has been under a crisis standard of care declaration since September 16, 2021. That provides guidelines to “help healthcare providers and systems decide how to deliver the best care possible under the extraordinary circumstances of an overwhelming disaster or public health emergency. The guidelines are used when there are not enough healthcare resources to provide the usual standard of care to people who need it.” About 20 of Alaska’s hospitals have authorization in place to activate those standards if necessary. Colorado has had to reactivate the standards, and the two largest hospitals in Albuquerque, New Mexico, had to activate the standards Thursday. Read more