We are watching closely as states begin to adopt practices for emerging from shelter in place mandates. Many states across the country are offering glimpses of what the near future holds, as the gradual lifting of social distancing, and stay at home guidelines presents the risk of spikes in reinfection of COVID19.

Governments across the country are focused on developing strategies for relaxing social distancing and stay at home orders, focusing on safeguarding communities and public health, and enabling employees to begin returning to work, and businesses to resume restricted operations.

In a number of European countries, regulations are being rolled back, allowing for some businesses, including retail and manufacturing operations to begin returning to normal operation. Similarly, many municipalities are reporting school teachers have been allowed to return to classrooms, and recreational facilities are beginning to reopen to the public.

Here in the US, California Governor Gavin Newsom stated that things will not go back to true normal until there is a herd immunity and a vaccine. (A herd immunity is also called community immunity and herd or group protection. It occurs 2 ways. When people are vaccinated against the disease or when enough people contract the disease and become immune to it that it stops the disease from spreading).

Governor Newsom outlined a six-step strategy for the “new normal”. Clusters of governors are basing decisions on infection rates in their states and counties. Regardless, businesses and small sections of the country will be reopening bit by bit depending on individual health. Some states, like New York, that were slower to adopt social distancing measures, will likely not see changes in place until the summer.

We will be vigilantly monitoring all practices unfold and make decisions to alter any of our plans and practices carefully. Please stay tuned.

Governor Newsom’s 6 Frames of Focus towards Reopening the State:

• Expanding California’s testing abilities. Creating strong infrastructure for tracing and tracking individuals and properly isolating and quarantining identified individuals.

• Protecting the most vulnerable populations from infection and spread, including seniors, immune suppressed, and homeless.

• Addressing the needs of hospitals and alternative care delivery systems to be effective in case of surges with PPE, ventilators, gowns, shields, masks, gloves as well as intensive care readiness.

• Continuing to include coordination efforts with academia, research partners, UC schools, Stanford, USC and frontline workers to advance protocols on therapeutics.

• Redrawing “floor plans” and guidelines for businesses, schools and other facilities to have practices in place for social and physical distancing.

• Maintaining an ability to toggle back and forth between greater and lesser interventions depending on surges of the virus, until a vaccine is available.

For more on this, follow this link here

Links to Relevant Resources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Arizona Department of Health Services

• California Department of Public Health

• What We Know Head to Toe

• US Census Bureau

Hints of Spring

• Lockdown Effect: Animals Ruling The World

• Songs for better sleep

• I Second that Emotion (International Quarantine Video)

• Corona Virus Story ~ A Great Realisation (Tom foolery)