Coronavirus Watch: 2 states shift to an 'endemic' approach
Two states have announced plans to shift their approaches to combatting the coronavirus pandemic.
Utah officials announced Friday the state plans to no longer treat COVID-19 like a pandemic and instead view it like other seasonal diseases. Gov. Spencer Cox said the "steady state" model will begin March 31 by phasing out mass testing sites and less frequently reporting case counts.
The announcement in the Beehive State came after California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced a shift to an "endemic" approach. Instead of trying to extinguish the virus, California would transition away from crisis mentality and focus on preparing for the inevitable twists COVID-19 may present in the future, Newsom said.
It's Friday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's more news to know:
- Washington and New Mexico announced they were dropping their indoor mask mandates, leaving Hawaii as the only state that has yet to set a date for lifting its mandate.
- In Canada, police said they were arresting protesters who have blocked traffic for weeks in Ottawa over the country's COVID-19 restrictions. The blockade in Canada’s capital was the last stronghold of the "Freedom Convoy" trucker protest.
- U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy tested positive for COVID-19, he said Friday on Twitter. Murthy, his wife and two children, who also tested positive, were all experiencing symptoms but doing OK, he said.
See our COVID-19 resource guide here. See total reported cases and deaths here. On vaccinations: About 76% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 65% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
– Grace Hauck, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck