California Gov. Gavin Newsom told residents in his state not to expect life to go back to normal from the coronavirus pandemic until after a vaccine is rolled out.
“We’re not going back to normal,” Newsom said during a Tuesday press conference. “It’s a new normal, with adaptations and modifications, until we get to immunity and a vaccine.”
Newsom added in a statement that while the state is moving forward to “Stage 2” of the reopening process, people will still have to cope with other restrictions imposed by the state going forward.
“Millions of Californians answered the call to stay home, and thanks to them, we are in a position to begin moving into our next stage of modifying our stay-at-home order,” Newsom said in a press release. “But make no mistake — this virus isn’t gone. It’s still dangerous and poses a significant public health risk. As we move into the next stage of reopening, we will do so with updated guidance to help qualifying businesses make modifications needed to lower the risk of COVID-19 exposure to customers and workers. Californians should prepare now for that second stage of reopening.”
President Trump has said he is hopeful that a vaccine will be available by the end of the year but made it clear during a recent interview with ABC’s David Muir that it’s not a guarantee.
“You can never be convinced,” he said, adding that “we have a really good shot of having something very, very substantial.”
Newsom is facing increased pressure from California residents to ease the strict lockdown restrictions he imposed on 40 million people in mid-March with the goal of flattening the coronavirus infection curve.
Newsom also said at the time he didn’t expect the lockdown to last “many, many, months.”
More than 500 protesters stormed the town of Huntington Beach, California, last week to demonstrate their anger at the governor for his decision to close local beaches. Some small businesses have also defied lockdown orders in Northern California and opened their doors.
A total of 2,504 people have died in California from the coronavirus, and there have been more than 61,000 cases. The worst, however, is expected to be over.
“You have successfully bent and arguably flattened the curve in the state of California,” Newsom said on April 16.
