COVID Plan Shifting from Pandemic to Endemic
After nearly two years of vaccinations, mask mandates, and social distancing, California is gearing up to treat COVID-19 like influenza or malaria.
Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom outlined the state’s revised plan to beat the coronavirus and its variants by approaching the virus as an endemic. The governor said he was open to more flexibility in the state’s COVID rules now that nearly 74 percent of Californians ages 5 and up are fully vaccinated and another nearly 9 percent are partially vaccinated. About 55 percent have had booster shots.
What is an Endemic?
When a virus breaks out in one concentrated area as COVID-19 did, it’s called an epidemic. When that virus spreads to multiple places outside of that area then it’s referred to as a pandemic. An endemic, by comparison, is a virus that still exists in a community, but it has become manageable as immunity builds.
Governor Newsom said the state’s plan will still include quarantines, testing of those who don’t show symptoms, and other precautions, but those choices would be based on multiple “guideposts and measurements” designed to spot new surges and virus variants.
Local health care agencies are also preparing to treat COVID more as an endemic, ACPHD officials told Alameda County Supervisors earlier this month, it expects to continue rigorously tracking COVID-19 risks and maintain its push for vaccinations and testing as a defense strategy. But the priorities would be shifted towards high-risk settings first. Families and businesses would need to manage any ongoing COVID risks.
Alameda County’s COVID-19 case rate declined to 91 per 100,000 residents per day on January 31 and has continued to drop rapidly. This, after reaching a pandemic peak of 267 new cases per 100,000 residents per day on January 10. Meanwhile, hospitalizations have decreased 30 percent from their peak and never exceeded overall hospital capacity, Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) officials said last week. Additionally, the county has higher vaccination (82 percent) and booster (58 percent) rates than the state average.
This week, the County is joining with other Bay Area health departments to lift the indoor mask mandate in most situations.
Still, Keep your Mask Handy
While in Alameda County, you will no longer be required to wear a mask for most indoor public settings, the rules are still patchworked. California still requires everyone, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a mask on BART or AC Transit, in health care settings; close-quarters settings like prisons and homeless shelters; long-term care facilities; and in K-12 schools and childcare settings.
Businesses can also still require all customers to wear masks to protect staff and other patrons. And then there is the awkward period where you might wear a mask, but your friend might choose differently.
“Some people may understandably feel anxious about these changes to masking requirements in the county,” County health spokesperson Neetu Balram said in a statement. “People can continue to choose to wear face coverings around others whether it’s mandated or not and should respect people’s choices around their health. Community members who are vaccinated and choose not to mask should respect the choices of those who continue to mask. Officials ask residents and visitors to be kind and respectful as people evaluate their risks and make choices to protect themselves and those around them.”
Extending Sick Leave
In related COVID news, Governor Newsom signed two bills last week that are designed to help with worker rights and support small businesses hit hard by the pandemic, such as restaurants. State Senate Bill 114 (SB 114) extends employees' right to access COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave through September 30, 2022.
“Paid sick leave is a life or death issue for grocery workers like me and the customers in our stores,” said Samantha Webster, a union grocery store worker at Safeway in Hercules. “I’m proud of the way grocery workers came together to demand this important public health measure. Having access to supplemental paid sick leave will now let me stay home if I need to and not have to worry about getting my customers and coworkers sick.”
State Senate Bill 113 (SB113) provides an additional $6.1 billion in tax relief including nearly $500 million in tax cuts for small businesses that had to close due to COVID-19 restrictions and an additional $5.5 billion in restored tax deductions and tax credits to encourage business growth.