California Expects to Lift Most COVID Restrictions June 15
- If vaccine supply is sufficient for Californians 16 years and older who wish to be inoculated; and
- If hospitalization rates are stable and low.
Upon reopening, California will eliminate its Blueprint for a Safer Economy, a plan which ranked the state’s 58 counties in a tiered system based on each county’s number of cases and positivity rate. These tiers determined the level of restrictions placed on business operations in each county.
According to the April 6 statement, “All sectors listed in the current Blueprint for a Safer Economy grid may return to usual operations in compliance with Cal/OSHA requirements and with common-sense public health policies in place, such as required masking, testing and with vaccinations encouraged. Large-scale indoor events, such as conventions, will be allowed to occur with testing or vaccination verification requirements.”
The statement acknowledged that newly detected COVID-19 variants continue to be closely monitored, “with the option to revisit the June 15 date if needed.”
Since receiving its initial doses in December 2020, California has surpassed 20 million administered vaccines — more than all but five nations in the world — a number that Newsom remarked as a “significant milestone.” The governor anticipates the state will have more than 30 million vaccines administered by the end of April.
Newsom reported California is currently receiving 2.5 million vaccine doses per week, and his administration is working on a system to increase that number to more than 5.8 million. California continues to dedicate 40% of vaccine doses to disproportionately-impacted communities in an effort to distribute vaccines in an equitable manner.
According to Newsom, California currently holds the lowest COVID-19 case rates in the U.S. However, with 1,367 cases still prevalent throughout the state as of April 6, he emphasized the need for continued vigilance and mask-wearing, as the virus is still considered deadly.
Vaccines have already been made available to healthcare workers and long-term care residents, as well as high-risk individuals age 16 or older. Every Californian age 16 or older will be eligible for the vaccine beginning April 15.
For more information regarding COVID-19 vaccines and data in California, visit https://covid19.ca.gov/