Before his four-day visit to Ireland, US President Joe Biden signed an order on March 10th ending the 2020 Covid national emergency declaration made by his predecessor Donald Trump. Although recent times have seen the relaxation of the enforcement of covid guidelines, the official end of the pandemic will see a significant impact on everything ranging from hospitals, healthcare and immigration.

Although the emergency’s end will be most obvious in the price of covid tests and vaccinations, healthcare providers are preparing for changing hiring guidelines, federal funding cuts, and the return of pre-pandemic rules for hospitals and clinics. The signed order also means that tracking covid will now be curtailed with labs no longer required to report testing data to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Mr Biden is due to land in Belfast tonight with Air Force One expected at the city’s International Airport just after 9pm where he will be greeted by British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the recently appointed US Special Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland Joseph Kennedy III are among those accompanying the US President on his trip.

Following a thorough check of the cavalcade’s route by the US Secret Service that occurred over the weekend, Mr Biden will be escorted to a hotel in Belfast for an overnight stay whereby he will attend one formal engagement the next day to open a new £350m campus for Ulster University in Belfast city centre.

Although the leaders of Stormont’s five main parties have been invited to attend, it has not yet been confirmed whether they will meet the US President together, or individually.

Mr Biden will leave Belfast tomorrow at around 2pm to attend engagements in Dublin, Louth and Mayo over the next three days.