{"id":149387,"date":"2022-10-17T16:47:37","date_gmt":"2022-10-17T23:47:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=149387"},"modified":"2022-10-17T16:47:37","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T23:47:37","slug":"governor-newsom-to-end-the-covid-19-state-of-emergency-in-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=149387","title":{"rendered":"Governor Newsom to End the COVID-19 State of Emergency in 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sacramento, CA…Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the COVID-19 State of Emergency will end on February 28, 2023, charting the path to phasing out one of the most effective and necessary tools that California has used to combat COVID-19. This timeline gives the health care system needed flexibility to handle any potential surge that may occur after the holidays in January and February, in addition to providing state and local partners the time needed to prepare for this phaseout and set themselves up for success afterwards.<\/p>\n

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With hospitalizations and deaths dramatically reduced due to the state\u2019s vaccination and public health efforts, California has the tools needed to continue fighting COVID-19 when the State of Emergency terminates at the end of February, including vaccines and boosters, testing, treatments and other mitigation measures like masking and indoor ventilation. As the State of Emergency is phased out, the SMARTER Plan continues to guide California\u2019s strategy to best protect people from COVID-19.<\/p>\n

SMARTER Plan progress update<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThroughout the pandemic, we\u2019ve been guided by the science and data \u2013 moving quickly and strategically to save lives. The State of Emergency was an effective and necessary tool that we utilized to protect our state, and we wouldn\u2019t have gotten to this point without it,\u201d said Governor Newsom. \u201cWith the operational preparedness that we\u2019ve built up and the measures that we\u2019ll continue to employ moving forward, California is ready to phase out this tool.\u201d<\/p>\n

To maintain California\u2019s COVID-19 laboratory testing and therapeutics treatment capacity, the Newsom Administration will be seeking two statutory changes immediately upon the Legislature\u2019s return: 1) The continued ability of nurses to dispense COVID-19 therapeutics; and 2) The continued ability of laboratory workers to solely process COVID-19 tests.<\/p>\n

\u201cCalifornia\u2019s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has prepared us for whatever comes next. As we move into this next phase, the infrastructure and processes we\u2019ve invested in and built up will provide us the tools to manage any ups and downs in the future,\u201d said Secretary of the California Health & Human Services Agency, Dr. Mark Ghaly. \u201cWhile the threat of this virus is still real, our preparedness and collective work have helped turn this once crisis emergency into a manageable situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout the pandemic, Governor Newsom, the Legislature and state agencies have been guided by the science and data to best protect Californians and save lives \u2013 with a focus on those facing the greatest social and health inequities \u2013 remaining nimble to adapt mitigation efforts along the way as we learned more about COVID-19. The state\u2019s efforts to support Californians resulted in:<\/p>\n