California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Friday that despite plans to completely reopen the state’s economy after June 15, California’s COVID-19 emergency order will remain in effect.
The statement was issued in early March 2020, when coronavirus cases began to surge across the state-giving Newsom and state health officials broad powers to temporarily impose new rules and restrictions, and they will be used throughout the pandemic. This power has been exercised many times.
But the governor said that even though California has the lowest COVID-19 case rate and hospitalization rates are close to historical lows, the danger has not passed.
"We are still in a state of emergency. The disease has not been eliminated. It has not disappeared. This will not allow summer vacations," he said.
Throughout the pandemic, the scope of the state’s public health authorities has been the focus of controversy and the subject of legal challenges.
Since the declaration of a state of emergency, dozens of orders have been issued; these include the authorization of masks in California and instructions to mail ballots to voters in preparation for the election in November last year.
Although the California Constitution only gives the legislature the power to make laws, the state court of appeals ruled last month that the California Emergency Services Act of 1970 gave the governor the power to modify state laws during a crisis.
A panel of three judges in the Court of Appeals for the Third District in Sacramento stated that the Emergency Services Act is constitutional because it only provides temporary powers and contains "an important safeguard." It is worth noting that the court stated that the safeguard is to require the governor to declare the end of the state of emergency as soon as possible, or to require the legislature to do so.
The Republican leader of the Saugus State Senate, Scott Wilk, said in a statement on Friday: “If Newsom believes the state is safe enough to reopen, then people can do without his arbitrary and capricious rules. It’s safe to make a decision for yourself under the circumstances.” “I believe it’s time for him to put on the crown and restore our democracy.”
In response to the Times’ follow-up investigation, Newsom’s office said: “The state of emergency ensures that the state can continue to respond quickly to changing circumstances while the pandemic continues. Once the situation no longer requires an emergency response. , The governor will end the state of emergency. Although the state of emergency will not end on June 15, as more and more Californians are vaccinated, we look forward to a full reopening of the economy and withdrawing from the blueprint."
How the state of emergency will affect California’s June 15 reopening remains to be seen.
The State Department of Public Health stated that on that day "daily life will feel a lot like before COVID-19." Almost all companies and other institutions will remove capacity restrictions and physical distance requirements related to the coronavirus, and in most cases, people who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to not wear masks.
However, the question of how complete the reopening will be remains. According to new regulations proposed by the State Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board on Thursday, some employees who have not been vaccinated or who work with people who have not been vaccinated need to wear masks at work. The rules that came into effect on June 15 will allow workers to give up masks, provided that everyone in the room has been vaccinated and the employer has their vaccination records on file.
Eric Berg, deputy director of the California Department of Occupational Safety and Health, defended the proposal to require all vaccinated and unvaccinated workers to wear masks when unvaccinated people are present.
"Without this requirement, employees who have not been vaccinated will be at risk," he said. "With the full opening of enterprises on June 15, physical distances were gradually removed, barriers were removed, and masks including N95 became more important in preventing transmission. Workers’ long-term and cumulative exposure is longer than when they are not in the workplace. Much."
Board members approved Cal/OSHA's proposal, saying it is better than the current regulations, which require all workers to wear masks almost always. However, most board members also criticized the new standards for unnecessary restrictions and difficulty to follow.
"I heard all day that employer groups were very confused about the interpretation and implementation of the proposal," said board member Chris Laszcz-Davis. "If there is a lot of chaos, people will either do nothing or do something wrong."
The board of directors established a subcommittee to work with the California/Occupational Safety and Health Administration to develop a revised plan to further relax workplace safety standards and make them more consistent with the recommendations of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Some infectious disease experts suggest that the proposed relaxation of California workplace mask regulations may be further relaxed. They pointed out that even if a fully vaccinated person is in close contact with an unvaccinated person, they can be highly protected from the coronavirus. Even in the rare case that the vaccinated person is infected, the person may not show any symptoms or have very mild symptoms, and is unlikely to spread the virus to others.
When asked about the board’s decision on Friday, Newsom described it as a step in the right direction.
"This is an independent board of directors; people must keep this in mind," he said at an event for the first batch of winners of the state's COVID-19 vaccine lottery. "At the same time, I take note of the work we have done and the progress we have made in slowing the spread and rate of this disease in the state."
However, he added, “We never said that we would not consider making some changes after June 15.”
One area worth noting is what the state calls "large events." Organizers of indoor events with more than 5,000 people (such as basketball games) will be required to verify that participants have been vaccinated or tested negative for coronavirus within 72 hours of the start time. In outdoor activities with more than 10,000 people, this will be recommended but not required-although in these cases, venues can choose to allow unvaccinated and untested participants, provided they wear masks at all times.
Although the guidelines may change as conditions require, Newsom said that the state’s color reopening blueprint will be deactivated on June 15. “For ordinary citizens, the public, and those who want to do business like me, Humanly speaking, this means that you are not bound by the rules that have been implemented since March last year.