Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Big Day For California: Most Covid Restrictions Now Lifted
AP: California Reopens, Says Goodbye To Most COVID-19 Rules
California, the first state in America to put in place a coronavirus lockdown, is now turning a page on the pandemic. At the stroke of midnight, California is lifting most of its COVID-19 restrictions and ushering in what has been billed as the state’s “Grand Reopening. ”Starting Tuesday, there will be no more state rules on social distancing, and no more limits on capacity at restaurants, bars, supermarkets, gyms, stadiums or anywhere else. And masks — one of the most symbolic and fraught symbols of the pandemic — will no longer be mandated for vaccinated people in most settings, though businesses and counties can still require them. (Gecker, 6/15)
USA Today: California Lifting COVID Restrictions
The nation's largest state will reopen Tuesday, effectively ending a slew of 15-month restrictions to stem the COVID-19 pandemic. California is ranked 41st among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, according to a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. With 11.87% of the country's population, California had 6.19% of the country's cases in the last week. The Golden State is in a markedly different place than it was in December when it was declared by many to be the epicenter of the pandemic. California broke records for hospitalizations and single-day case numbers multiple days in a row. Deaths topped 30,000, then 45,000 the next month, and many funeral homes in Southern California were overrun by the surge. (Aspegren, 6/15)
Bay Area News Group: California's COVID-Vaccinated Eligible To Win Dream Vacations
If chances to win cash and $50 grocery gift cards aren’t enough to tempt Californians who haven’t yet been vaccinated to get their COVID-19 shots, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new incentive Monday — a chance to win one of a half-dozen vacation packages around the state. The announcement of what Newsom called “a series of spectacular items and packages and experiences, including culinary experiences, that really highlight the best of California” comes as California plans to reopen Tuesday, dropping physical distancing, mask-wearing, gathering and indoor capacity limits at midnight. (Woolfolk, 6/14)
AP: California Adds Vacation Incentive To Spur Vaccinations
California will offer six “dream vacation” incentives to spur more people to get coronavirus vaccinations, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday on the eve of the state awarding of $15 million in cash prizes. Aside from boosting California’s vaccination rate as it lifts most pandemic restrictions Tuesday, the latest promotion aims to jump-start the Golden State’s travel and tourism industry after more than a year in virtual hibernation because of stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions. (Thompson, 6/14)
In related news from California —
San Francisco Chronicle: UC Reverses Course, Will Require All Students, Faculty And Staff To Be Vaccinated This Fall
In an about-face, the University of California will require all students, staff and faculty to be vaccinated against the coronavirus this fall, even though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the vaccines only for emergency use. UC President Michael Drake “does plan to move forward with the vaccine mandate,” Regent Eloy Oritz Oakley told The Chronicle on Monday. The decision reverses a proposed policy UC announced in April of requiring vaccinations only after the FDA fully approved at least one of the three vaccines now being administered to American under emergency authorization. It’s not clear when the FDA will give full approval. (Asimov, 6/14)
Los Angeles Times: Vaccinated California Workers Poised To Ditch Masks This Week
Fully vaccinated workers in California may be able to remove masks at work this week if a state safety board approves a proposal by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or Cal/OSHA. The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is poised on Thursday to approve a plan written by Cal/OSHA that would allow most fully vaccinated workers in many workplaces to stop wearing masks and end physical distancing requirements for all workers. (The relaxed rules would not apply in places such as healthcare settings, which are regulated by tougher criteria.) (Lin II, 6/14)
