With COVID tamed, it’s a ‘grand reopening’ in California – Vancouver Island Free Daily
California, the first US state to put in place a coronavirus lockdown, is now turning to a page about the pandemic.
At midnight, California lifted most of its COVID-19 restrictions and ushered in what is known as the “grand reopening” of the state.
As of Tuesday, there were no more state rules on social distancing and no more capacity restrictions in restaurants, bars, supermarkets, gyms, stadiums or anywhere else.
And masks – one of the most emblematic and explosive symbols of the pandemic – will no longer be mandatory for vaccinated people in most settings, although companies and counties can still require them.
Just in time for summer, California wants to send the message that life in the Golden State is getting much closer to normal. The economy is fully open for the first time in 15 months and people can largely return to pre-pandemic lifestyles.
Fans can cheer maskless at the Dodgers and Giants baseball games. Disneyland is opening its doors to all tourists after only allowing California residents since opening in April. From the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles to the Castro in San Francisco, people can box up indoor bars and nightclubs.
“With all due respect, eat the rest of the United States from your heart. There is no state in America that has more, ”said Governor Gavin Newsom on the eve of the reopening. “The state is not only on the verge of recovering, it is ready to come back.”
When it reopens, Newsom will turn a few happy residents into millionaires. In a main TV event, the governor will draw 10 names of residents who have received at least one dose of vaccine and award each one a $ 1.5 million.
The draw marks the grand finale of the nation’s largest vaccination incentive, $ 116 million in COVID-19 lottery jackpots and cash card giveaways. The winners can collect the money once they are fully vaccinated.
Tourism was one of the hardest hit industries during the pandemic and is now looking to make up for lost time.
“When it comes to our incredible cities, our iconic attractions, the industry is ready to roll the red carpet to visitors in California, across the country, and even around the world,” said Caroline Beteta, President and CEO of Visit California.
With pandemic ups and downs, California went from being a success story to being the US epicenter of the virus. As the first in the country to issue a statewide shutdown in March 2020, California companies were just starting to reopen last June as cases increased and restrictions were reimposed.
By the end of summer, a darker reality set in when California raced toward a deadly winter wave. Closures, curfews and harrowing images from overcrowded hospitals became the norm as the state set new records for infection rates and terrifying deaths almost daily.
More people tested positive for the virus in California (3.8 million and more) and more people died (63,000 plus) than anywhere else in the country, even though the most populous state in the country had a lower per capita death rate than most.
California now has one of the lowest infection rates in the country, below 1%. That dramatic drop in infections, combined with an increasing number of vaccinated residents – over 70% of adults received at least one dose – prompted Newsom in April to announce the lifting of most COVID-19 restrictions on June 15.
Reopening doesn’t necessarily mean people will immediately flock to places and events that once grabbed them, or that companies will choose to go back to full capacity right away. But a noticeable sense of anticipation has replaced the fear, frustration and sadness that heralded summer 2020.
To Angie Barragan, who was born in Los Angeles and returned to visit from her Las Vegas home last week, so many once normal things feel new, uncomfortable, and amazing: walking in public without a mask, for the first time Socialize age.
“It’s a way of being human again,” she said as she shopped and strolled on the city’s historic Olvera Street, a restored Mexican marketplace that was once crowded with tourists. “But it’s great to be around people.”
The reopening does not mean the pandemic is over, Newsom has repeatedly insisted as an explanation for maintaining its statewide declaration of emergency.
Some public health measures remain in place for “mega-events”. Individuals attending indoor concerts, sporting events, or other large gatherings with more than 5,000 people must provide evidence that they are vaccinated or have recently had a negative COVID-19 test. Participants in outdoor events with more than 10,000 people are “strongly encouraged” to do the same.
Fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear masks in most locations, including indoors. Unvaccinated people are expected to wear masks, but this is not enforced. Companies have three options: to work according to an honor system; require customers to provide proof of vaccination, or they can still require everyone to wear a mask.
Many wonder if the honor system will work, including the California Nurses Association, which said the new rules essentially ask companies and key employees to be the vaccination police.
“This is not a solid public health strategy,” said Sandy Rending, a president of the association, which urges residents to wear their masks indoors and in crowds.
In places such as public transport, airports, healthcare and indoor school classes, a mask is required for the time being.
Some business owners have complained that the ever-changing mask rules are confusing while warmly welcoming the reopening.
“We’re excited – and a little confused,” said Tom La Torre, owner of Sabella & La Torre restaurant at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, a tourist paradise that turned into a ghost town during the pandemic.
Previously, his restaurant was capped at 50%. “That’ll be nice to fill up the space. However, we are still confused about the mask mandate. “
It’s also unclear whether people will come.
For Rita Torres, a retired college administrator in Oakland, the past 15 months have been “mind-boggling.” She missed dancing at live concerts and hugging her friends on weekly happy hour outings. She loves having groceries delivered, a practice she used to think was frivolous. The reopening on Tuesday is just another day for them. She will venture out cautiously.
“I want to be happy deep inside,” she said, but she will take it slow. “Because it’s kind of like that, is it too early? Are we going to be sorry? “
—Jocelyn Gecker, The Associated Press
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