On Feb. 28, California’s COVID-19 State of Emergency will officially expire.
This expiration signals a shift towards the endemic phase of a disease that once stopped the world in its tracks.
Citing the state’s low hospitalization and death rates, Governor Gavin Newsom first announced this pandemic milestone on Oct. 17, 2022.
Now, California will adhere to the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Plan, a new set of guidelines that stresses individual mitigation efforts like voluntary masking and vaccinations.
According to the Office of the Governor, these “simple and clear tools” are meant to aid Californians in the continued fight against COVID-19.
The State of Emergency was first issued on March 4, 2020 — it would be the first of hundreds of provisions enacted by the governor over two and half years to protect Californians in the fight against a novel and deadly disease.
Nearly three years to the date, life around us has seemingly returned to normal. In most public spaces, masks are few and far between. New vaccinations in San Joaquin County have leveled off from a high of 9,720 doses administered on Apr. 9, 2021, to just nine doses on Feb. 12.
At Delta College, many of the precautions first adapted to mitigate the spread of COVID expired long ago.
Indoor mask mandates were removed at the beginning of the summer ‘22 semester. Vaccine and booster mandates for students and faculty were removed then, too.
However, this new phase of the pandemic means Delta’s COVID-19 response will be ongoing.
“The fact that the state of emergency is ending does not mean that COVID is ending, and we want to make sure that everyone is as safe as possible,” said Alex Breitler, Director of Marketing and Communications when asked how this policy change would affect the Delta community at large.
The end of this COVID-19 emergency will not cause many noticeable changes for Delta students.
Students still have access to a variety of resources. Testing in Locke Lounge will remain available, regardless of the statewide shift in policy.
Free vaccinations will continue to be available to students and their families at the Student Health Center in the DeRicco Student Services Building.
In terms of curriculum, students will still have access to online classes.
“There is certainly still a high level of demand for online classes and we will continue to make those classes available to give students as much flexibility as possible,” said Breitler.
With county-wide cases and deaths the lowest they have been since the onset of the pandemic, the catastrophic effects of COVID-19 appear to be in the rearview mirror.
According to the California Department of Health and Human Services, the seven-day death average is down to 0.01 deaths per 100,000 residents in comparison to the high of 1,700 per 100,000 in January 2021.
Just two weeks ago on Feb. 9, President Biden and the White House announced their own COVID-19 policy shakeup — the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency is now set to expire on May 11.
This expiration has further reaching implications.
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, some changes Americans can expect include higher out-of-pocket costs for COVID treatments.
Free over-the-counter tests will become much more limited, and insurance companies will no longer be required to cover testing without cost-sharing.
Changes are subject to each individual’s health plan, however.
Though we are entering a new phase in the fight against COVID-19, students at Delta are encouraged to continue to remain vigilant and remain home if they are feeling sick.
Students can call the Nurse Triage at 209-888-0480 if they are feeling sick or are unsure if they should come to campus.