CALIFORNIA, USA — Most Californians have come to accept coronavirus is here to stay, but now some look to their local governments on how they should proceed with daily life.
Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled the state’s new “SMARTER” plan to prevent, and react to coronavirus outbreaks. Masks will not be required in most settings, but they’ll be encouraged.
Still, the plan encompasses much of what’s already being done – with a focus on shots, masks, awareness, readiness, testing and education.
It’s still unclear which direction coronavirus will lead, as the virus continues to spread into all communities, with great potential to mutate along the way.
President of Sutter Independent Physicians, Dr. David Herbert, says public health officials will need to pay close attention to emerging variants.
“They could be more contagious, they could be more lethal or they could be just more of the same,” Dr. Herbert said.
Californians have been impacted by the pandemic in many ways, which will likely play a role in how individuals move forward as we learn to live with the virus.
Zenia Hutcherson is a mother of high school aged twins who works in downtown Sacramento. She lost four family members to coronavirus in a span of a month.
Hutcherson and her children were masked outside in the downtown commons Thursday. She is frightened that restrictions such as the mask mandate is being lifted.
West Sacramento mother, Lisa Cortez, lost her hospitality job of 20 years when the pandemic struck in 2020. It took her a year to find a new career in a different industry.
She and her son, an 8th grader at Southport Elementary School are vaccinated and boosted. Still, she will continue to mask inside crowded places.
“We do need to think about the future and how are we going to live with it,” Cortez said. “I don’t know. I don’t have the answers.”
As pandemic restrictions ease, individuals are now considering how they will proceed for themselves. Individuals are taking their personal experience with the coronavirus into consideration as they consider how they will go about their daily lives without state imposed restrictions.
Meanwhile, state health officials continue to monitor how the virus continues to effect communities and are planning for ways to tighten or loosen restrictions as necessary to protect public health.
