The California governor has laid out some general plans on how the state eventually will be taken off lockdown. There are four overall phases stretched over the next year or more. Highlights include:
- Curb side pickup from retail stores will be allowed perhaps in weeks.
- In-person worship services and getting a haircut will be allowed months from now.
- Stay-at-home orders will not be lifted for a year or more.
Schools may start early, perhaps even in July. That will be conditioned upon schools having the ability to maintain safe distances between students.
This discussion will be posted on several of my blogs.
The graphic provided by the state describes the four stages:
- Stage 1: safety and preparedness – This is the current lockdown.
- Stage 2: lower risk workplaces – Lower risk sectors can adopt new safety procedures and then re-open. Some schools may open along with childcare assuming safe distances can be maintained.
- Stage 3: higher risk workplaces – Slightly higher risk sectors can reopen after adopting safety procedures.
- Stage 4: end of stay-at-home order – Remaining sectors can open up.
In stage 1 testing and contact tracing capacities are being developed. Hospitals have the time to develop a surge capacity.
In stage 2 curbside pickup will be available from retail stores. That means no in-store shopping beyond what is available today. Manufacturing of items such as toys, clothing, and furniture can resume. Some offices will be allowed to open but companies will be encouraged to continue having a staff work from home. Some parks and trails will be opened up.
The offices allowed to reopen will be those which don’t lend themselves to work from home. Examples include consulting firms or public relations.
Schools and child care facilities can open if they make unspecified changes to ensure students will not get sick. School could start as early as late July.
Stage 3 is months away. In the distant future hair and nail salons, gyms, and entertainment venues will be opening. Movie theaters will also be allowed to open.
Don’t expect to get a haircut until July or August.
In-person religious services along with weddings finally will be allowed in stage 3. Keep in mind that is months away. Not weeks.
I am guessing this is the point at which we will actually be able to go into all retail stores. What level of sales do you think a clothing store or sporting good place will have when customers can’t see any of the merchandise before they buy it? A lot more retail outlets will die on the vine before stage 3 arrives.
Stage 4 will happen only when all six of the indicators outlined by the governor have been met. This will include full contact tracing and a vaccine in common use.
At this distant point in time concerts, conventions, and sporting events can resume.
Article reminds us that the public health officials indicate a vaccine is over one year in the future. That means it will be at least a year before large sporting events, concerts, and conventions can resume. Those economic sectors are dead in California for another year. At least.
Some articles for additional detail:
- 4/28/20 – KTLA 5 – Here are the 4 stages of Newsom’s plan to gradually reopen California
- 4/28/20 – Politico – Newsom: California to begin reopening in weeks, may start school year in July
- 4/28/20 – Mercury News – Here is Gov. Newsom’s 4-part plan to reopen California from coronavirus shutdown
- 4/28/20 – CNN politics – California governor outlined state’s phased reopening plan
- 4/28/20 – Daily Bulletin – Newsom: California’s next school year may start in July as lower-risk businesses “gradually” reopen