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California unveils plan to treat coronavirus as manageable risk, marking new phase in pandemic response

Key updates
Key coronavirus updates from around the world
A health worker's sign marks the end of the line as residents wait for coronavirus testing in Hong Kong. (Paul Yeung/Bloomberg News)
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Updated February 18, 2022 at 12:33 a.m. EST|Published February 17, 2022 at 4:08 a.m. EST

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California’s governor announced on Thursday that the state will treat the coronavirus as a manageable risk, marking a new phase of its pandemic response as officials look to reach a level of normalcy.

“What I think would be a big mistake is we are overly prescriptive in our response metrics to a specific variant or disease when in fact we know that omicron is not the last variant of this disease,” Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said at a news conference.

California has continued to see a decline in its new coronavirus infections after experiencing a sharp increase spurred by the omicron variant like many parts of the country. The state recently ended its mask mandate for fully vaccinated residents, though state health officials still strongly encourage mask-wearing when visiting indoor public spaces.  
Key coronavirus updates from around the world

Here’s what to know

  • Washington state and New Mexico announced Thursday the end of their indoor mask-wearing policies, ending March 15 and effective immediately, respectively.
  • The World Health Organization announced that newly reported coronavirus cases are dropping worldwide but warned that coronavirus-related deaths are still alarmingly high.
  • The United States has recorded more than 1 million “excess deaths” associated with the virus since the start of the pandemic, a toll that exceeds the officially documented lethality of the virus and captures the broad consequences of the health crisis.
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Here's what to know:

Washington state and New Mexico announced Thursday the end of their indoor mask-wearing policies, ending March 15 and effective immediately, respectively.
The World Health Organization announced that newly reported coronavirus cases are dropping worldwide but warned that coronavirus-related deaths are still alarmingly high.
The United States has recorded more than 1 million “excess deaths” associated with the virus since the start of the pandemic, a toll that exceeds the officially documented lethality of the virus and captures the broad consequences of the health crisis.

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Coronavirus: What you need to know

Where do things stand? See the latest covid numbers in the U.S. and across the world. In the U.S., pandemic trends have shifted and now White people are more likely to die from covid than Black people.

The state of public health: Conservative and libertarian forces have defanged much of the nation’s public health system through legislation and litigation as the world staggers into the fourth year of covid.

Grief and the pandemic: A Washington Post reporter covered the coronavirus — and then endured the death of her mother from covid-19. She offers a window into grief and resilience.

Would we shut down again? What will the United States do the next time a deadly virus comes knocking on the door?

Vaccines: The CDC recommends that everyone age 5 and older get an updated covid booster shot. New federal data shows adults who received the updated shots cut their risk of being hospitalized with covid-19 by 50 percent. Here’s guidance on when you should get the omicron booster and how vaccine efficacy could be affected by your prior infections.

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