Feb. 18 (UPI) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled the state’s long-term COVID-19 pandemic plan, which places a focus on living with the presence of the virus.
Newsom and California Health Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly introduced the SMARTER plan, an acronym highlighting the state’s intention to focus on shots, masks, awareness, readiness, testing, education and Rx — or medications.
“What we’re announcing here today is about turning a page,” Newsom said during a speech in San Bernardino County. “We have all come to understand what was not understood at the beginning of the crisis, that there is no end date, that there is not a moment where we declare victory despite so many of the metaphors that were used during this pandemic — the war metaphors where we said, ‘We will defeat this virus.'”
Under the plan, the state will maintain capacity to administer at least 200,000 COVID-19 vaccines per day, keep a stockpile of 75 million “high-quality masks,” track variants and communicate with the public, work to keep schools open, and order clinically effective COVID-19 therapies.
The presentation came a day after state officials lifted the indoor mask mandate, saying they still “strongly recommend” masks be worn indoors, with plans to issue similar guidance for the state’s schools by the end of the month.
Ghaly said the state will alter guidance from “strongly recommends” to “recommends” and ultimately “optional” as cases fall.
He added the state also will not implement restrictions based on certain case thresholds but will be guided by changes in the virus.
“We’re gliding into normal. We’re not announcing the normal,” Ghaly said. “The virus will drive what we do. We’re going to shift with the virus so we can keep the state as safe as possible.”
