Governor Gavin Newsom Plans to Lift California's COVID-19 State of Emergency
The End of Covid?
California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that he plans to lift the COVID-19 state of emergency in February 2022, citing the significant decrease in hospitalizations and deaths thanks to public vaccination efforts. The decision will allow the state's healthcare system to have the necessary flexibility to handle future surges that could occur during and after the holiday season.
Newsom will also ask the state legislature, upon its return, to consider two "statutory changes" involving nurses being able to dispense COVID-19 therapeutics and lab workers being able to solely process COVID-19 tests.
Throughout the pandemic, California has administered at least 81 million vaccinations and allotted billions of dollars to support medical facilities, community organizations, front-line workers, schools, and more.
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SubscribeBeing Prepared
The state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has prepared it for whatever comes next. As the state moves into the next phase, the infrastructure and processes it has invested in and built up will provide the necessary tools to manage any ups and downs in the future.
“While the threat of this virus is still real, our preparedness and collective work have helped turn this once crisis emergency into a manageable situation,” said Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency.
Confident and Prepared
The governor's decision to lift the state of emergency comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 68% of Americans are fully vaccinated against the virus. The state has been guided by science and data, moving quickly and strategically to save lives. The state of emergency was an effective and necessary tool utilized to protect the state, and it would not have gotten to this point without it.
“With the operational preparedness that we’ve built up and the measures that we’ll continue to employ moving forward, California is ready to phase out this tool,” Newsom said in a statement.
The state of California is confident in its preparedness and collective work to help turn the crisis into a manageable situation. With the lifting of the state of emergency, Californians can start to see a return to normalcy, while still maintaining caution and preparedness for future surges.