California moves to endemic response strategy

California became the first US state to formally switch to an "endemic" response to the coronavirus pandemic, Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday. 

"The pandemic won't have a defined end. There's no finish line," Newsom said.

Collective preemptive actions like mask-wearing — already lifted this week for vaccinated people indoors — or shutting businesses down to curb the spread of the virus will no longer be the norm.

A disease can be classified as having reached the endemic stage when the impact of the virus becomes manageable as people grow immune to it.

California's approach would not mean an immediate lifting of the dozens of emergency executive orders, which most recently, Newsom said, have allowed him to bring more temporary medical workers and to quickly distribute millions of home test kits to schools, that are in place to deal with the pandemic. 

But it does mean a lot more initiatives and greater spending to quickly spot and respond to variants or surges. The response would also focus on swift reaction to an outbreak and entails support for health care workers, stocking of tests and pushing back against COVID misinformation.

Here are the latest major developments on coronavirus from around the world:

Asia

South Korea on Friday recorded 109,831 new cases of coronavirus, driven by the omicron variant, which marks a 25-fold increase from the levels seen in mid-January. But the country decided to ease restrictions in view of "deepening difficulties of the people's livelihood and economy," said Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum. The authorities decided to extend restaurant and business hours to 10 pm from 9 pm.

Hong Kong has put in place arrangements for people to quarantine by identifying nearly 20,000 hotel rooms that can be used for the purpose, the region's leader Carrie Lam said on Friday. Hospital beds and quarantine facilities have either reached capacity or are nearly there as workers struggle to cope with a surge in omicron cases. Hong Kong is expected to report at least 3,600 new cases, with another 7,600 preliminary positive cases, local media reported.

Hong Kong's leader, Carrie Lam, has also announced that elections for a next leader due late next month will be postponed until May 8 amid the surge in infections.

It is not yet clear whether she herself intends to run for reelection. So far, just one candidate, Checkley Sin, a businessman and film producer, has announced that he wants to vie for the post.

Europe

Germany reported 235, 626 new cases of coronavirus and 261 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday, according to data from the official Robert Koch Institute. The total number of cases stands at 13,035,941, and deaths at 120,728. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said he thinks the country has passed a daily peak in cases and urged state premiers "not to go over what loosening of measures was agreed upon" for political points. Opening too quickly would bring no good on people and would prolong the wave, Lauterbach said. Germany is preparing for phased easing of restrictions in the coming weeks.

Portugal will move to further ease COVID restrictions, the government said on Thursday. Officials said the country would drop rules requiring vaccination, recovery, or negative tests to enter restaurants and other public spaces going forward.  Unvaccinated people would have to present a test to enter hospitals and care homes. 

Wearing masks indoors remains a rule, and the government said the country's coronavirus state of emergency would be loosened but stay in place until March 7.

Americas

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will require attendees of the 94th Oscars ceremony to either show proof of COVID vaccination and at least two negative PCR tests, The New York Times reported Friday. Performers and presenters will have to undergo tests, but won't have to show proof of vaccination. The Dolby Theatre in Hollywood seats around 3,300 people and 2,500 have been invited this time.

rm/dj (Reuters, dpa, AP)