California to Soon Begin ‘Endemic’ Approach to Pandemic

California health officials next week will outline a new approach to dealing with the coronavirus that assumes it’s here to stay, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday, while condemning organized disinformation efforts that limit vaccinations critical to California entering the next stage.

A disease reaches the endemic stage when the virus still exists in a community but becomes manageable as immunity builds.

“We’re looking back at the last two years — what worked, what didn’t, what we’ve all learned on the journey we’ve been on together,” Newsom said. That includes reviewing the impact on people and businesses from California’s rules, regulations and requirements, he said.

The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11, 2020. While still considered a pandemic, health experts have been expecting the coronavirus to eventually become endemic.

Continue reading at The Associated Press