SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – President Biden signed a bill Monday officially ending the national COVID emergency plan.

While the national emergency has ended, the Public Health Emergency on both a federal and state level here is still slated to end May 11.

After three years, The U.S. national emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been terminated. This happening one month earlier than previously announced by the White House.

“We as a nation and as the commonwealth are moving on from COVID, and obviously we need to be mindful of that, that COVID is still present here,” said State Senator, John Velis.

That emergency plan freed up federal funding to fight the impacts of the corornavirus pandemic and support the country’s economy as well as its healthcare and welfare systems.

Velis added, “A concern I have, is that if these waivers go away from the federal government, does it exacerbate our significant workforce shortage-the crisis that we are feeling in healthcare right now? Does this have an impact on things like emergency room boarding?”

The move will prompt changes to some pandemic-related federal programs including mortgage forbearance at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and relaxed Veteran Affairs Department requirements for home visits to evaluate eligibility for caregiver assistance.

“There will still be some Massachusetts protections in place in certain areas that will last longer, it will be a good thing and a slower roll out to accumulate to that process,” says Velis.

In March, Governor Maura Healey announced that the Public Health Emergency in the Commonwealth will be ending May 11, the same day the federal public health emergency is also set to expire.

Governor Healey is looking to extend certain areas that the public health emergency provided, in particular, staffing for the health care industry.