San Diego County public health officials reported 1,338 new COVID-19 cases and 11 more deaths Thursday as the state prepared for the next phase of battling a virus that is expected to be a continued presence.
With the update, the area’s COVID case totals during the two-year pandemic rose to 729,597 infections and 4,958 deaths.
In addition, 15 locals had to be admitted to area hospitals, while four more required intensive care.
Meanwhile, state officials announced a framework based on the idea that COVID will remain with us for the foreseeable future.
Officials dubbed the plan, SMARTER. The acronym stands for shots, masks, awareness, readiness, testing, education and “Rx,” or treatment.
“Today is about balance almost more than it is about anything else,” Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s Health and Human Services secretary, told reporters. “Balance between a message of hope and successful adaptation, but also prepared vigilance. Today is not about moving on, but rather about moving forward.”
Ghaly said SMARTER the next phase of its response to COVID-19, moving beyond the pandemic. The shift would be to an “endemic” stage in which residents will learn to co-exist with a stubborn virus.
The state continues to emphasize the importance of vaccinations and testing, along with continued education, communication with residents about conditions as they change and vigilance in the face of new variants that could emerge and lead to new surges.
The state will stockpile masks, ventilators, over-the-counter tests and other resources necessary to respond should outbreaks occur. Ghaly said that unlike past pandemic-response plans, the SMARTER framework does not contain pre-determined thresholds that would trigger restrictions on personal behavior.
“It is clear the virus will remain with us for some time, if not forever,” according to the official document released by the governor’s office. “It is less clear how often and how much it will continue to impact our health and well-being. However, we know what works, and have built the necessary tools over the last two years that allow us to learn and hone our defenses to this virus as it evolves.”
– City News Service contributed to this report.
