Situation Report

Republicans in Congress have asked President Biden to end the designation of COVID-19 as a public health emergency (PHE), citing the accessibility of vaccines and effective treatments as well as the harms of long-term isolation on public health.

Their request for the president to undo the designation comes as calls grow — including from former Biden advisers — for the federal government to chart a course for the next stage of the pandemic. Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have plunged after the dramatic omicron-driven surge, and deaths have begun falling as well, though the seven-day average was still 2,300 deaths per day, as of Thursday.

"We're moving toward a time when COVID won't disrupt our daily lives, a time when COVID won't be a constant crisis but rather will be something we can protect against and treat," Jeffrey Zients, the White House COVID response coordinator, said in a briefing on Wednesday.

South Korea to start giving fourth doses of COVID vaccine South Korea will begin giving out fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccines this month and supply millions of additional home test kits to ease shortages amid a surge in Omicron infections, authorities confirmed on Monday. Josh Smith,Hyonhee Shin Reuters

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FDA authorizes new Covid-19 monoclonal antibody that works against Omicron variant The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized a new monoclonal antibody treatment that seems to work against the Omicron variant of the virus that causes Covid-19. Jen Christensen, CNN CNN

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Study: COVID booster effectiveness wanes but remains strong NEW YORK (AP) — An early look at the performance of COVID-19 booster shots during the recent omicron wave in the U.S. hinted at a decline in effectiveness, though the shots still offered strong protection against severe illness. AP NEWS

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