Next Tuesday, California is slated to reopen its doors following more than a year of pandemic-related restrictions. The state’s reopening system, known as the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, will dissolve, and businesses and houses of worship will be permitted to open without capacity limits or distancing restrictions.
Life will not immediately return to pre-pandemic normal, however—especially if you’re unvaccinated. Even though the state is eliminating its own mask mandate, we will instead fall back upon CDC’s guidelines, which still require masks for unvaccinated people indoors and for all people indoors in healthcare and congregate settings. What’s more, stricter masking and distancing requirements for employees working in person will remain in place for at least the next few weeks.
This week’s COVID update explores the fine print of the state’s June 15 reopening, featuring excerpts of conversations with Brynn Carrigan, Director of Kern Public Health, and Nilsa Gonzalez, Deputy Director of Environmental Health at the Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency.
Meanwhile, here’s a snapshot for Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, and Tulare Counties (note that some numbers may have changed between the interview and publication):
As of June 10:
- 4,939 total deaths out of 335,387 total cases
- 136 people hospitalized and 22 in ICUs
- 17 deaths reported in the last week
- 67 average cases reported daily in last week
- 2,055,685 vaccine doses administered to date
As of 1 week previous, June 3:
- 4,922 total deaths out of 334,919 total cases
- 128 people hospitalized and 28 in ICUs
- 18 deaths reported in the last week
- 74 average cases reported daily in last week
- 1,992,680 vaccine doses administered to date
As of 4 weeks previous, May 13:
- 4,837 total deaths out of 331,489 total cases
- 175 people hospitalized and 36 in ICUs
- 36 deaths reported in the last week
- 158 average cases reported daily in last week
- 1,717,044 vaccine doses administered to date
You can always find up-to-date information for your county here.
