The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Monday renewed the COVID-19 public health emergency determination for another 90 days. HHS secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement that the extension followed consultation with public health officials and comes “as a result of the continued consequences” of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial determination that a public health emergency exists due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, was made on Jan. 31, 2020, by former HHS secretary Alex Azar, and has been extended every three months ever since. Public health emergency declarations enable such measures as emergency use authorization of vaccines and unlocking of funds to support the pandemic response. “The extension will help hospitals and health systems combat COVID-19 in their communities,” the American Hospital Association said in a statement. The move comes as the average of new daily infections this week is up …