COVID-19 test sites close in Stanislaus County as state ends emergency declaration
Stanislaus County’s drive-up testing sites in Salida and Turlock are closed as the California’s COVID-19 state of emergency came to its end Tuesday.
The state of emergency declared in March 2020 gave Gov. Gavin Newsom authority to issue orders and use resources in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Most of the orders ended months ago and the state is phasing out remaining regulations.
Beyond the closing of the public testing sites last week, a county health services spokeswoman wasn’t aware of any other local changes.
Health experts say the pandemic is not over but the risk of contracting a serious case of COVID-19 is far lower than in the first years of the illness.
UC Davis Health in Sacramento posted advice Tuesday from infectious disease specialists for this new phase of living with COVID-19.
“At this point in the pandemic, most people have some sort of immunity to COVID-19 from vaccination or infection — or both,” said Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Health. “The risk of severe disease is less at this point, but it’s not zero. COVID is becoming more like influenza or flu.”
The UC Davis experts advised people in high-risk categories to remain cautious and stay up to date on vaccinations.
“It is important to remember that the risk of COVID infection comes with the risk of long COVID, so it is not just as simple as getting over a common cold,” said Natascha Tuznik, associate clinical professor of infectious diseases.
Depending on their risk factors, some people may consider wearing a mask in indoor situations where they might catch the virus or when traveling by plane.
People may still run into mask requirements in health care settings because of state and federal guidelines, the experts said. It’s also important to stay home from work or school when you are sick.
Federal, state and county health agencies will continue to track COVID-19 and are expected to alert the public about new variants of concern.
This story was originally published February 28, 2023 at 4:19 PM.
