The Governor released the state’s 30-page COVID-19 endemic plan,
titled the “California S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Plan,” last week. CSAC
leadership received a high-level summary briefing on the plan
previously, and input from local health officers and directors on
the plan’s specifics was not solicited.
The California S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Plan includes the following
components:
Prioritizes keeping schools open
Increases commitment to tracking and surveillance
Increases commitment to access to therapeutics
Sustains most testing and lab resources (at least for 12
months)
No specific metrics for reimplementing safety measures
Outlines a new focus on improving indoor air quality
Continues cautious approach for high-risk groups and settings
Recommends continued masking in mixed indoor settings
The California S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Plan also includes sections on
lessons learned, previous and ongoing state investments to combat
the pandemic, and recommendations for cross-jurisdictional
preparedness planning. See the full plan in PDF format here.
State of Emergency
Both the state and federal government declarations of a public
health emergency due to COVID-19 remain in place. President Biden
extended the federal declaration this week, which will remain in
effect for at least 90 days and possibly up to a year. This
allows state to continue to postpone eligibility redeterminations
for certain social services programs, and ensures continues
federal assistance for COVID-19 activities. California Senate pro
Tempore Toni Atkins
indicated last week that California would begin examining
next steps for the state’s public health emergency in late
March.
Masks
While the state mask mandate was lifted February 15, the state
school mask order remains in effect until at least February 28,
when the state will revisit whether to sustain or lift it.
For those who are interested, here is the explanation of the
S.M.A.R.T.E.R. acronym:
S = Shots: vaccine equity, immunity data M = Masks: ongoing recommendation – not order –
to continue mask wearing in mixed indoor spaces A = Awareness: surveillance (including
wastewater), state/local coordination, communication, gathering
long-term impacts of COVID including health, economic, and
behavioral health impacts R = Readiness: ongoing investments in public
health infrastructure (such as Governor’s proposed $200M in
ongoing funding for local health jurisdictions), preparation in
high-risk settings, improve indoor air quality T = Testing: ensuring access to timely testing
and lab capacity E = Education: prioritizing safe schools,
outbreak guidance, and implementing safety measures when
appropriate R = Rx for treatment: utilizing therapeutics,
smoothing testing to treatment time period, ensuring access to
people in need
