Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Monday plans to end the COVID-19 State of Emergency by the end of February.
California will wait to end its state of Emergency until the winter season is nearly over on Feb. 28, 2023. Newsom’s office said this timeline gives the healthcare system needed flexibility to handle any potential surge that may occur after the holidays in January and February.
“Throughout the pandemic, we’ve been guided by the science and data – 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’t have gotten to this point without it,” said Governor Newsom. “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.”
The timeline also provides state and local partners “the time needed to prepare for this phaseout and set themselves up for success afterward,” according to Newsom's office. Upon the state Legislature’s return, Newsom's office said will seek the continued ability of nurses to dispense COVID-19 therapeutics, and for the continued ability of laboratory workers to solely process COVID-19 tests.
According to Newsom’s office, state pandemic response efforts have “saved tens of thousands of lives, kept people out of the hospital, and protected the economy”. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows death rates in California are the lowest among large states.
“If California had Texas’ death rate, 27,000 more people would have died here. If California had Florida’s rate, that figure jumps to approximately 56,000 more deaths,” Newsom’s office wrote.
State officials said it will continue to follow through with its “SMARTER plan” to navigate through the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Details on that plan are available here.
“California’s 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’ve invested in and built up will provide us the tools to manage any ups and downs in the future,” said Secretary of the California Health & Human Services Agency, Dr. Mark Ghaly. “While the threat of this virus is still real, our preparedness and collective work have helped turn this crisis emergency into a manageable situation."
