California's COVID-19 State of Emergency to end in Feb. 2023

After nearly three years, Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced that the COVID-19 State of Emergency will end on Feb. 28, 2023.

"Throughout the pandemic, we've been guided by the science and data - moving quickly and strategically to save lives. The State of Emergency was an effective and necessary tool that we utilized to protect our state, and we wouldn't have gotten to this point without it," said Governor Newsom. "With the operational preparedness that we've built up and the measures that we'll continue to employ moving forward, California is ready to phase out this tool."

Over the next four months, California will gradually phase out the state of emergency, granting healthcare workers the much-needed flexibility to handle any potential winter surges. In the past two years, cases have surged during the holiday season. 

"California's response to the COVID-19 pandemic has prepared us for whatever comes next. As we move into this next phase, the infrastructure and processes we've invested in and built up will provide us the tools to manage any ups and downs in the future," said Secretary of the California Health & Human Services Agency, Dr. Mark Ghaly. "While the threat of this virus is still real, our preparedness and collective work have helped turn this once crisis emergency into a manageable situation."

The State of Emergency was first enacted on March 4, 2022.