SACRAMENTO – (INT) – California’s end of the COVID-19 State of Emergency is in sight. It will terminate February 28th, 2023 almost 3-years after it began.

Governor Newsom said Monday the timeline will give healthcare systems flexibility to handle any potential surge in infections that may occur this winter.

Secretary of the California Health & Human Services Agency, Dr. Mark Ghaly, said that “While the threat of this virus is still real, our collective work has helped turn this once crisis emergency into a manageable situation.”

When the emergency ends, the fight against COVID-19 won’t. State medical officials will still advocate for vaccines and boosters, testing, treatments and other mitigation measures like masking and indoor ventilation.

Going forward, Newsom says his administration will be seeking two statutory changes immediately upon the Legislature’s return: 1) The continued ability of nurses to dispense COVID-19 therapeutics; and 2) The continued ability of laboratory workers to solely process COVID-19 tests.

Story Date: November 28, 2022