Gov. Gavin Newsom will announce Wednesday new plans to assist defend California from Covid-19 and the omicron variant, following an earlier choice to require all well being staff within the state to have coronavirus booster pictures.
The occasion is scheduled to start at 1:40 p.m. ET. Watch within the participant above.
Newsom introduced the order on his private Twitter account and deliberate to supply extra particulars on the Wednesday information convention.
California already requires well being care staff to be vaccinated in opposition to the coronavirus, a directive that took impact in September and has since led to the firing or suspension of 1000’s of individuals. Now it is going to be part of New Mexico as a minimum of the second state to require booster pictures for well being care staff.
Final week, Newsom, who imposed the primary statewide shutdown order in March 2020, warned that circumstances would possible rise and re-imposed a rule requiring everybody to put on masks at public indoor gatherings.
Considerations stem from the rise of omicron, which as of Monday was the dominant variant of the coronavirus in the USA. Areas within the Midwest and Northeast are seeing the largest bounce in circumstances and hospitalizations amid frigid temperatures which have stored folks indoors.
A lot in regards to the variant stays unknown, together with whether or not it causes roughly extreme sickness. Scientists say omicron spreads extra simply than different coronavirus strains, together with delta. Early research counsel the vaccinated will want a 3rd shot for one of the best probability at stopping an infection however even with out the additional dose, vaccination nonetheless ought to provide robust safety in opposition to extreme sickness and demise.
California has up to now fared much better than many different states. The U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention lists California as a spot with “excessive” transmission of the virus, together with almost all over the place else within the nation. However within the final week California averaged 114 new circumstances per 100,000 folks, lower than half the nationwide fee.
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Related Press reporter Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona, contributed to this report.