California to fully reopen by June 15 on condition residents continue vaccinations
Apr 06, 2021
Washington [US], April 7 : California will fully reopen by June 15 if its residents continue to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus and the rate of hospitalizations stays stable, Governor Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday.
"We are announcing today that on June 15, we will be moving beyond the blueprint (of pandemic safety measures), if we continue the good work," Newsom said during a briefing, Sputnik reported.
California's five-week window for reopening was based on its encouraging pace of vaccinations and receding rate of hospitalization, Newsom said.
"With more than 20 million vaccines administered across the state, it is time to turn the page on our tier system and begin looking to fully reopen California's economy," Newsom said in a statement released earlier in the day as reported by Sputnik.
In the terms of hospitalization, there were just 2,005 people hospitalized with one new confirmed case of the virus in the past 24 hours, a 23 percent decrease from two weeks ago, state health statistics showed.
Newsom, however, urged Californians to remain vigilant with respect to safety measures.
"We can now begin planning for our lives post-pandemic but we will need to remain vigilant and continue the practices that got us here - wearing masks and getting vaccinated," the governor said, adding that the "light at the end of this tunnel has never been brighter".