California’s four-tier Blueprint for a Safer Economy has guided the state through the pandemic. However, it possibly is unnecessary after June 15. To eradicate this measure, California must have a sufficient vaccine supply for residents 16 years and older, and low hospitalization rates must additionally be shown.
What We Know:
- Governor Gavin Newsom made this statement on Tuesday. The state will lift most capacity limits for businesses and recreational activities. Larger indoor events like conventions must have testing and vaccination verification requirements, according to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. On April 15, citizens 16 and older will be eligible to start obtaining the COVID-19 vaccine. Officials hope that the two months’ preparation will give people time to receive their two dosages and undergo the two-week immunization period.
- The four-tier system consists of different levels: purple, red, orange, and yellow. NBC Los Angeles explains the details of the blueprint and what’s accessible at each point. When California released these stages, 94 percent of counties were under purple, the most restrictive tier. Inyo and Merced counties are now the only ones in purple, as of Monday.
- By the end of April, California should administer 30 million coronavirus vaccines. As a result, it will allow the state to partially inoculate a majority of the 32 million people who will become eligible to take the vaccine next week. Currently, 7.5 million Californians are fully vaccinated, while 6 million are partly inoculated. The new movement means will permit inhabitants to perform some everyday activities, but Newsom still urges the public to perform “common-sense” health safety measures like masks and vaccinations.
- Although government officials like Newsom and Ghaly are optimistic about reopening in June, the Associated Press says a few discrepancies were in their announcement. For example, the figures could not say how they would assess lifting restrictions. They also did not mention what counts as a good trajectory. Apparently, Newsom and Ghaly struggled to explain the changes “without adding caveats.”
- In terms of discussing vaccinations and hospitalization rates, state officials refused to give a must-hit goal for shots. They also did not explain what they meant by “stable and low” hospitalization numbers. The AP states that Newsom is facing a possible recall election backed by those criticizing his handling the pandemic. Kevin Faulconer, a Republican and former San Diego mayor, did not like that Newsom decided to reopen the state after millions of Californians signed a recall petition. Faulconer intends on replacing Newsom as governor as well.
- California is not the only state that is easing up on limitations. States like Texas, Arizona, South Carolina, and Alabama have been relaxing their stances on masks and ending business capacity limits. Texas opened the Texas Rangers’ opening game against the Toronto Blue Jays to the public fully; 38,000 fans filled the Globe Life Field and sat side-by-side. CNBC explains each states’ declarations in full detail.
The announcement comes more than a year after California shut down due to the pandemic. The country’s most populated state was extremely affected by the coronavirus. More than 58,000 California locals have died from COVID-19 since 2020.
