Tuesday briefing promises detailed information regarding moves toward resuming normal life

Freedoms have been freely and voluntarily given away as Californians follow orders and recommendations to defend the vulnerable population against the threat posed by COVID-19. On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom delivered an address to inform Californians on the progress made toward resuming the exercise of inalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Newsom opened the Monday briefing with an old African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

“That is the spirit of regionalism that has defined our approach to addressing this pandemic,” Newsom said.

Newsom indicated California sent out a joint statement relaying a shared vision for a process and protocol framework for a “reopening” of California. He curbed the progress by reiterating that the progress has been made by a collective effort to physically distance and protect against the spread of COVID-19.

“I don’t want to understate the imperative of meeting this moment by practicing appropriate social distancing so we can continue to bend the curve,” Newsom said. “But we are at a point of time that we are beginning to socialize conversations to more formally establish what it would look like to begin the process of incremental release of the stay-at-home orders.”

The return to normalcy is a major topic among government officials, health experts, and the general public, even in the midst of the most demanding recommendations yet by the CDC that everyone wear facial coverings when going into public.

“We look forward to continuing that collaborative effort that extends beyond the western United States,” Newsom said, “in forming perspectives and opinions, sharing best practices and ultimately advancing the cause that unites all of us, in reopening the economy in a safe and strategic, and responsible way.”

The details of that plan as specific to California were promised to be delivered by Newsom on Tuesday at noon.

California, Oregon & Washington Announce Western States Pact

Today, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Oregon Governor Kate Brown and Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced an agreement on a shared vision for reopening their economies and controlling COVID-19 into the future.

Joint statement from the Governors: 

COVID-19 has preyed upon our interconnectedness. In the coming weeks, the West Coast will flip the script on COVID-19 – with our states acting in close coordination and collaboration to ensure the virus can never spread wildly in our communities.

We are announcing that California, Oregon and Washington have agreed to work together on a shared approach for reopening our economies – one that identifies clear indicators for communities to restart public life and business.

While each state is building a state-specific plan, our states have agreed to the following principles as we build out a West Coast framework:

–Our residents’ health comes first. As home to one in six Americans and gateway to the rest of the world, the West Coast has an outsized stake in controlling and ultimately defeating COVID-19.

–Health outcomes and science – not politics – will guide these decisions. Modifications to our states’stay at home orders must be made based off our understanding of the total health impacts of COVID-19, including: the direct impact of the disease on our communities; the health impact of measures introduced to control the spread in communities —particularly felt by those already experiencing social disadvantage prior to COVID-19; and our health care systems’ ability to ensure care for those who may become sick with COVID-19 and other conditions. This effort will be guided by data. We need to see a decline in the rate of spread of the virus before large-scale reopening, and we will be working in coordination to identify the best metrics to guide this.

–Our states will only be effective by working together. Each state will work with its local leaders and communities within its borders to understand what’s happening on the ground and adhere to our agreed upon approach.

Through quick and decisive action, each of our states has made significant progress in flattening the curve and slowing the spread of COVID-19 among the broader public. Now, our public health leaders will focus on four goals that will be critical for controlling the virus in the future.

  • Protecting vulnerable populations at risk for severe disease if infected. This includes a concerted effort to prevent and fight outbreaks in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
  • Ensuring an ability to care for those who may become sick with COVID-19 and other conditions. This will require adequate hospital surge capacity and supplies of personal protective equipment.
  • Mitigating the non-direct COVID-19 health impacts, particularly on disadvantaged communities.
  • Protecting the general public by ensuring any successful lifting of interventions includes the development of a system for testing, tracking and isolating. The states will work together to share best practices.

COVID-19 doesn’t follow state or national boundaries. It will take every level of government, working together, and a full picture of what’s happening on the ground.

In the coming days the governors, their staff and health officials will continue conversations about this regional pact to recovery.