California offers cautious blueprint forward as COVID wanes, mask orders ease

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https://www.yahoo.com/news/california-offers-cautious-blueprint-forward-222220290.html

"“Today is not about moving on but, rather, about moving forward,” California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said. "We move into this next phase with humble confidence and a commitment to be active and aware every step of the way. We move into the next phase smarter than we ever have been."

That means being prepared for a bump in coronavirus cases as the school year begins in the late summer, and a higher surge just as next winter gets underway, officials said. It also means there may be instances when universal indoor mask orders are needed for periods of time to avoid overwhelming hospitals and ambulances responding to 911 calls.

The plan calls for stockpiling a robust supply of masks, maintaining the capacity to administer hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses and coronavirus tests per day, and enhancing the ability to track COVID-19 trends and respond to hard-hit communities. It's now clear that there will need to be a years-long fight against COVID-19.

Speaking from a warehouse in Fontana on Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said, "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."

"It’s in that spirit of optimism that we now move into a new phase of addressing the challenges and realities of this disease," he said. "We move out of the pandemic phase and we move into a phase which should allow you confidence that we are not walking away, that we’re taking the lessons learned and we’re leaning into the future."

The fact that masks work should not be the debate,” Ghaly said. “We should work together to make sure those who benefit most have access to the highest-quality masks we can provide. And at times there may need to be a time when we all wear masks to get through certain situations, so we don't overwhelm our healthcare delivery system.”

Ghaly's comments echoed those made by Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on Wednesday: "We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing, when these metrics are better, and then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen."

... The stupid never learn ...

https://www.yahoo.com/news/california-offers-cautious-blueprint-forward-222220290.html "“Today is not about moving on but, rather, about moving forward,” California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said. "We move into this next phase with humble confidence and a commitment to be active and aware every step of the way. We move into the next phase smarter than we ever have been." That means being prepared for a bump in coronavirus cases as the school year begins in the late summer, and a higher surge just as next winter gets underway, officials said. It also means there may be instances when universal indoor mask orders are needed for periods of time to avoid overwhelming hospitals and ambulances responding to 911 calls. The plan calls for stockpiling a robust supply of masks, maintaining the capacity to administer hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses and coronavirus tests per day, and enhancing the ability to track COVID-19 trends and respond to hard-hit communities. It's now clear that there will need to be a years-long fight against COVID-19. Speaking from a warehouse in Fontana on Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said, "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." "It’s in that spirit of optimism that we now move into a new phase of addressing the challenges and realities of this disease," he said. "We move out of the pandemic phase and we move into a phase which should allow you confidence that we are not walking away, that we’re taking the lessons learned and we’re leaning into the future." The fact that masks work should not be the debate,” Ghaly said. “We should work together to make sure those who benefit most have access to the highest-quality masks we can provide. And at times there may need to be a time when we all wear masks to get through certain situations, so we don't overwhelm our healthcare delivery system.” Ghaly's comments echoed those made by Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on Wednesday: "We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing, when these metrics are better, and then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen." ... The stupid never learn ...

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