While painting an upbeat picture of California’s work in controlling the spread of COVID-19, Governor Gavin Newsom once again preached continued surveillance and wearing masks, despite Texas and Mississippi lifting those mandates and noting that another has been found. variant of the virus in the state.
“We are making progress, but … the mission has not been accomplished,” Newsom said during a visit to Long Beach. “And as we transition over the next 90 to 100 days to get to where the president and others have assured us that we will be, and that is a frame of abundance when it comes to vaccines and we begin to reopen more. quickly our companies and our schools, we must take these variants into account ”.
Newsom said the state discovered the first variants of the virus Tuesday in New York in southern California. It did not specify where the cases were found.
The New York variant has spread rapidly in recent days, with more than 700 cases, mostly on the East Coast, confirmed since it was first detected in November.
With more vaccines available, people want to know what the guidelines will be for fully vaccinating people.
Like other variants, the New York variety is also believed to spread more easily from person to person, but federal authorities, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have warned that the variant could be more resistant to current COVID vaccines.
“That is why it is essential and important that we do not lower our guard, do not remove our masks when it comes to addressing the communicability of this disease that still claims thousands of lives every day: hundreds of lives are lost every day. here in the state of California, ”Newsom said.
“It is a deadly disease. It’s not about taking spring break. He hasn’t taken a day off since this time last year. “We will defeat him. We will turn the proverbial page. We are doing it, but let’s keep our watch as we work and we get to herd immunity. ”
Newsom noted that as of Wednesday, the state’s test positivity rate has dropped to 2.2%, noting that there are “only a few states in the United States with lower positivity rates than California.”
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