After very close to three years and more than 100,000 deaths related to Covid, the nation’s largest state ends its State of Emergency related to the pandemic at 11:59 p.m. tonight.
On March 4, 2020, California Gov, Gavin Newsom announced the State of Emergency in a news conference carried on virtually every local network amid concern over the state’s first virus-related death, but tonight’s transition will take place with very little public notice.
Newsom, who announced an end to the declaration six months ago, sent out an email announcement marking the end of a contentious era in the state. “Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation terminating the state’s Covid-19 State of Emergency, as previously announced in October.” The actual declaration asserts “that the conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property declared in the State of Emergency proclamation listed below no longer exist.”
California sees an average of nearly 3,000 new cases a day — those that are reported, anyway — but the number of hospitalizations and deaths related to the virus have flattened dramatically since the early days of the pandemic.
While the state crossed the tragic milestone of 100,000 lives lost to Covid just last week, the current average of 22 deaths a day is nowhere near the peak of nearly 700 in January 2021.
The State of Emergency gave the government what Newsom frequently termed “flexibility” in order to waive or modify certain requirements, including in publicly-funded and private health insurance, as well as to allow for the authorization of medical countermeasures — including surging medicine, supplies and beds, as needed — and to provide liability immunity to providers who administer services.
The national State of Emergency will expire on May 11.
In Hollywood, the current Covid protocols are set to expire April 1.
Must Read Stories
Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.