Talking to The Times, one expert said California will not rush to ease its statewide stay-at-home restrictions, adding that it will be a slow process that could take over a year. With several counties reopening faster, Gov. Gavin Newsom is stepping up the process by taking initial steps in the second stage of his previously announced four-stage plan.
Understanding the frustration over the sluggish pace of reopening, Newsom announced on Monday that he will allow some retail businesses to reopen on Friday for curbside pickup. Aside from that, he noted that some counties will be faster than others in terms of reopening more types of businesses.
There are certain restrictions that local and national level health experts suggest need to continue. For instance, sports teams should not be allowed to play to jampacked stadium crowds as this may lead to higher chances of the virus spreading.
Trump administration’s coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx also advised some cautions when reopening. Talking to Fox News on Sunday, she noted that federal guidelines are a firm policy of what they deem as important from a public health point of view.
Following the gating criteria is imperative as several states across the nation gear up to reopen businesses. Keeping in line with that, Birx said American people should not ignore social distancing measures.
Regrettably, California has not witnessed a stable two-week drop in coronavirus cases. In early April, the state recorded 8,000 to 8,500 cases every week, but from Apr. 19 to Apr. 25, it recorded an alarming 11,777 new cases, and in the seven days ending Saturday, 11,041 new cases were documented.
Although California has now started to witness a steady drop in weekly deaths, it remains to be seen whether or not this trend will continue. From Apr. 19, an alarming 25, 547 deaths were reported in the state, and 497 fatalities were reported last week, which translates to a 9 percent reduction in weekly deaths. Here's an outline of the governor's plan:
- Stage 1: Do not ease with the stay-at-home order
- Stage 2: Gradually reopen workplaces with lower risk
- Stage 3: Reopen workplaces with higher risks
- Stage 4: Full opening
Medical epidemiologist and infectious-disease expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Dr. Robert Kim-Farley is a former U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. From 2004 to 2018, Dr. Farley served as Los Angeles County’s director of the Division of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr. Kim-Farley shared his opinion about the governor’s plan, noting that full opening is not likely to be implemented until mid-2021, or even the latter part of the year.