The Biden administration said this week that it would end the public health emergency for Covid, a sign that federal officials believe that the pandemic has moved into a new, less dire phase.

The move carries both symbolic weight and real-world consequences for millions of Americans.

Guest: Apoorva Mandavilli, a science and global health reporter for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• The end of the public health emergency, planned for May, will bring about a complex set of policy changes and signals a new stage in the government’s pandemic response.
• Among the effects of the change, access to tests and treatment will be more complicated.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.