FONTANA, Calif. (KNX) — California marked a major step forward in the coronavirus pandemic Thursday, as Gov. Gavin Newsom and state health officials announced that the state will no longer fight COVID, but learn to live with it and be prepared for outbreaks.
“While we can’t predict the future, we can better prepare for it,” Newsom said at a press conference Thursday. “We recognize with humility that we don’t know what we don’t know as it relates to the future. But we have never been more prepared for that future.”
At a press conference in San Bernardino, Newsom and Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state's Health and Human Services secretary, outlined the state’s “SMARTER” plan, an acronym for shots, masks, awareness, readiness, testing, education and RX. All of which will be included in the state’s plan to move forward with the continued existence of COVID-19.
“As we enter the next phase of the pandemic, the state is better equipped than ever to protect Californians from COVID-19 with smart strategies that save lives and advance our ongoing recovery,” Newsom said in a statement.
“Building on proven tools – rooted in science and data – that have been honed over the past two years, we’re keeping our guard up with a focus on continued readiness, awareness and flexibility to adapt to the evolving pandemic. As we have throughout the pandemic, the state will continue applying the lessons we’ve learned about the virus to keep California moving forward.”
Speaking from a state-operated warehouse in Fontana, Calif. which stores personal protective equipment, Newsom said that health officials have comfortably come to the conclusion that there is no end date to COVID-19. However, with the SMARTER plan in action, both he and state health officials feel that all of the issues that have arisen over the last two years can be addressed.
“Today is about balance almost more than it is about anything else,'' Ghaly said at the press conference, explaining that the importance of vaccinations and testing will continue as the state moves into the next phase of addressing the pandemic.
“We're gliding into normal. We're not announcing the normal…this is a state that's going to have tools available and keep our antennas up,” Ghaly said.
The SMARTER plan includes the following:
Shots: California will continue to be able to administer up to 200,000 vaccines per day
Masks: Properly worn masks will continue to help slow the spread. The state will stockpile 75 million high-quality masks and will have the ability to distribute them as needed.
Awareness: State health officials will continue to monitor how COVID-19 is spreading and any evolving variants and will communicate with Californians about how to protect themselves.
Readiness: The state will maintain wastewater surveillance in all regions, sequence at least 10% of positive COVID-19 test specimens and maintain the ability to add 3,000 clinical staff within two to three weeks of need.
Testing: The state will maintain commercial and local public health capacity to perform at least 500,000 PCR and antigen tests per day.
Education: The state will expand 25% of school-based vaccination sites supported by the state to increase vaccination rates as eligibility expands.
Rx: The state will maximize orders for clinically effective therapeutics available through federal partnerships, ensuring that they are ordered within 48 hours.
To learn more about COVID-19 testing and how to schedule an appointment, click here. To learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations in California, click here.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Related
