Yahoo Movies California lockdown unlikely in light of omicron variant, Newsom says, urging vaccinations
Despite the finding of a new COVID variant, California can likely avoid repeating the shutdowns it saw in 2020 if residents continue to get vaccinated and get their boosters, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday.
Federal health officials hours earlier confirmed the first case of the omicron variant in California.
Appearing at an event in the Central Valley, Newsom did not announce any statewide mandates or policy changes in light of the new variant, which is still being studied by experts.
But the governor said Californians can avoid closing businesses and schools by “doubling down” on efforts to stop the spread, including continuing to wear masks and getting vaccinated.
The state is already performing better than other areas of the country when it comes to COVID-19, Newsom said, noting California has a positivity rate of 1.9% while the rest of the nation is at 3.4%
He also pointed out that COVID concerns are not as acute as this time last year, when the state had 9,000 confirmed cases. Today, that number is 3,000.
“There’s more panic than information around this variant,” Newsom said. “Doubling down on what we’re doing is the most important message. We can avoid shutting down our schools or businesses. None of us want to see that happen. I don’t want to see that happen. And I see no indication at this moment whatsoever that that’s in our immediate future.”
Newsom specifically encouraged parents to get their children vaccinated, noting the omicron variant seems to contribute to high rates of pediatric cases in South Africa, and vaccines will help keep schools open.
“Pediatric hospitalizations should be a sober reminder... this is not just about those 65 and over... young people are susceptible as well,” he said. “We want to keep our kids in school, it’s a top priority for all of us.”
Per state data, 67.7% of eligible Californians are fully vaccinated. Less than one-third, 30.1%, have received a booster shot.
Newsom said he understands that some may be cautious about the vaccine, but said vaccination efforts have been plagued by misinformation.
“The longer we live with this virus...the more variants we will have to face,” he said. “And that’s why we have to face down the skepticism based on the misinformation. Face down the disinformation around the safety and efficacy of these vaccines.”
Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, noted that the individual who tested positive for omicron was fully vaccinated, but that does not mean the vaccine is ineffective.
“Vaccines do one really important thing: protect against severe disease, against hospitalization and death,” he said. “The evidence that an individual with omicron ... has mild symptoms and is improving is testimony to the importance of the vaccinations.”
