White House to disband Covid-19 response team in May

The White House will disband its coronavirus response team after the Covid-19 public health emergency ends in May, a current and former official said.

The team, led most recently by Dr. Ashish Jha, has begun to dwindle in recent months as the administration has started to shift its response to the virus from the emergency that defined the early part of President Joe Biden’s term in office. The team will now be disbanded as the public health emergency is set to expire on May 11.

“As a result of this Administration’s historic response to COVID-19, we as a nation are in a safer, better place than we were three years ago. COVID no longer disrupts our lives because of investments and our efforts to mitigate its worst impacts,” a senior administration official said in a statement.

“COVID is not over, fighting it remains an Administration priority, and transitioning out of the emergency phase is the natural evolution of the COVID response.”

Under Biden, the Covid-19 response team was responsible for coordinating the nationwide rollout and distribution of vaccines, treatments and medical supplies.

The Washington Post was first to report the team being disbanded.