On Thursday, leftist California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) announced a new phase of his state’s response to the Chinese virus, commonly known as COVID-19. Newsom chose the City of Fontana, in San Bernardino County, to make the announcement.
Newsom called the new approach the SMARTER Plan, with the name being an acronym for: Shots — “Vaccines are the most powerful weapon against hospitalization and serious illness”; Masks — “Properly worn masks with good filtration help slow the spread of COVID-19 or other respiratory viruses”; Awareness — Continuing to stay aware of new variants and communicating clearly with the population; Readiness — “COVID-19 is not going away and we need to be ready with the tools, resources and supplies we will need to quickly respond and keep public health and the healthcare system well prepared”; Testing — Having the right tests ready and available as needed; Education — “California will continue to work to keep schools open and children safely in classrooms for in-person instruction”; and Rx — The state will keep up-to-date on any new treatments that become approved for the virus.
“What we’re announcing here today is about turning the page, moving from this crisis mentality — moving from a reactive framework to a framework where we are more sentinel in our approach, that we stand firm and confident as we lean into the future, moving away from a reactive mindset, a crisis mindset to living with this virus,” Newsom told reporters in a warehouse.
Newsom boldly told the assembled that the virus will never be truly defeated. “We have all come to understand what was not understood at the beginning of this crisis, that there is no end date, that there is not a moment where we declare victory despite so many of the metaphors that were used during this pandemic — the war metaphors where we said, ‘We will defeat this virus.’”
Under the new plan, California’s indoor mask mandate is scheduled to end on February 23. The new plan does not lift the vaccine mandate for children attending school next fall, however.
The secretary of California’s Health and Human Services Agency, Dr. Mark Ghaly, stated that the goal of the new measures is to avoid future long-term lockdowns or mandates.
“The omicron surge is ebbing as quickly as it spiked in December, with new cases falling back to near pre-surge levels,” reported ABC7News. “Hospitalizations and intensive care cases were also falling, and the state’s forecasting models predict a continued gradual easing over the next month.”
The goals set for the SMARTER plan include creating the “capacity to administer at least 200,000 vaccines per day on top of existing pharmacy and provider infrastructure” and creating and maintaining “a stockpile of 75 million high quality masks and the capability to distribute them as needed.” Also, the state looks to expand school-based vaccination sites by 25 percent.
In addition, California will partner with at least 150 community-based organizations to promote vaccinations, “maintain commercial and local public health capacity … to perform at least 500,000” COVID tests per day, and maintain the “ability to add at least 3,000 clinical staff” within two to three weeks in areas with future breakouts.
In order to combat what Newsom calls “misinformation” regarding COVID-19, the state will begin to produce what it refers to as “myth-busting videos” to inform citizens what to think should anybody give non-government-approved information regarding the Chinese virus. So, it’s good to know that Newsom is thinking ahead on future censorship issues.
One thing that will not change is that the state of emergency with regard to the Chinese virus will remain in effect for the state, and along with it Newsom’s ability to establish new COVID-19 protocols at whim. Thus far, the governor has given 561 such orders since March of 2020. If indeed California is “moving from this crisis mentality,” why does Newsom get to keep such emergency power?
This “new approach” on the part of Gavin Newsom seems to be nothing more than a restatement of the old approach, but with a catchy new acronym and slightly less arm-twisting of California residents.
