California to drop social distancing necessities in June – KIRO 7 Information Seattle

SACRAMENTO, Calif .– (AP) – California will no longer require social distancing and allow full capacity for businesses when the state reopens on June 15, the state’s chief health officer said Friday.

“We are in a place with this pandemic where these past requirements will no longer be needed for the foreseeable future,” said California Health Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly.

He said dramatically lower virus cases and increasing vaccinations mean it is safe for the state to lift almost all restrictions within the next month. The state of nearly 40 million people has given nearly 35.5 million doses of vaccine, and more than three-quarters of residents over 65 have received at least one dose.

“Vaccines are widely available and we take pride in where we are,” said Ghaly.

“Something very important happens in California on June 15,” as the state ends its color-coded four-tier system that restricts activities based on each county’s virus prevalence, he said.

The restrictions on how many people can be in companies at the same time “that were a hallmark of the security plan,” he said. “There will be no more (physical distancing) restrictions for participants, customers and guests in business areas,” said Ghaly.

That doesn’t mean an abrupt end to wearing masks, he said, but it does mean the state will align its policies with national ones.

Officials announced earlier this week that they would wait until mid-June to follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new mask guidelines that it is safe for fully vaccinated people to wear face coverings in virtually all situations skip social distancing. Federal guidelines state that everyone should continue to wear masks in crowded indoor spaces such as airplanes, buses, hospitals, and prisons.

California’s labor regulators are separately developing safety rules that continue to apply to employers, Ghaly said.

For indoor events with more than 5,000 attendees, the state will continue to require a vaccine review or negative test results within 72 hours. But Ghaly said the review can be done “through self-certification,” with health officials providing details of how that process will work.

State officials will also recommend that organizers of outdoor events with more than 10,000 people require attendees to provide evidence that they have been vaccinated or tested negative for the coronavirus. Those who may or may not be able to show the review should be asked by organizers to wear masks, Ghaly said.

State officials do not expect they will issue or request a vaccination record or any other formal verification, he said. They will advise companies and others in need of screening “in a non-discriminatory manner”.

Having more than three weeks’ lead time before the changes go into effect “gives our businesses, organizations and residents ample time to prepare for these changes,” said Kathryn Barger, Los Angeles district director.

Ghaly said California also plans to follow CDC federal guidelines for domestic and international travel.

That means travel will not be discouraged, except in countries where visiting is not recommended. Voluntary quarantines for those returning to California will also be removed.

“We weathered the storm and I hope this finally signals our return to normal,” said Barger.

California was the first state to perform a statewide shutdown when the virus emerged in March 2020, and it was the country’s epicenter for the disease early in 2021. More than 61,000 people have died from the virus in California, most of them in every state in California the nation.

Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has said for weeks that the state expects to lift most business and social restrictions by June 15.

“I think our common goal has always been to open up the economy as quickly as possible by doing it safely,” said Dee Dee Myers, director of the governor’s Department of Economy and Development. Newsom faces a recall election this fall, in large part driven by those disappointed with its restrictions during the pandemic.

“Restrictions on eating and drinking, open bars, buffets and the like will go away,” she said. People can now plan weddings, meetings, and major sporting events with confidence. “So that was a really important milestone as we go forward and try to accelerate reopening and accelerate economic activity.”

In the past few days, newly reported infections in California have fallen below 1,000, and just over 1,300 people are currently hospitalized with the virus. The state’s current positivity rate is only 1%.

“We haven’t enjoyed this level since the first months and weeks of the pandemic,” Ghaly said.

Lift restrictions will inevitably lead to some increased transmissions, but the health system should be able to handle them and local officials can still set additional limits in the event of outbreaks, he said. Health officials will continue to monitor whether virus mutations break vaccinations, which he believes could mean renewed health measures.

“We will be watching this very closely,” he said. “But I think we’re in one place across the state where a significant number of people are vaccinated and protected.”

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That story has been corrected to say that more than 61,000 people have died from the coronavirus in California, not nearly 63,000.