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California became the first state to formally shift to an “endemic” approach to the coronavirus with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement Thursday of a plan that emphasizes prevention and quick reaction to outbreaks over mandated masking and business shutdowns. The milestone, nearly two years in the making, envisions a return to a more normal existence with the help of a variety of initiatives and billions in new spending to more quickly spot surges or variants, add health care workers, stockpile tests and push back against false claims and other misinformation. (Thompson, 2/18)

The crisis phase of the 2-year-old coronavirus pandemic is winding down in California, and the state on Thursday announced its strategy for coexisting with COVID in the long term — relying on generally less restrictive and more fluid public health measures to tackle future surges. The plan unveiled Thursday marks a profound shift in California’s approach to the pandemic, not so much in the details of the new strategy — which relies largely on familiar tools like vaccines and masking to deploy as needed — as in the tone of optimism about the state’s ability to manage the virus in the long run. (Allday, 2/17)

California officials on Thursday offered a cautious blueprint for the next phase of the pandemic, expressing optimism at the progress that has been made but stressing the state must be prepared for the potential for new variants and waves. The plan comes amid a growing push in some quarters to finally move on from two years of restrictions due to the coronavirus. While mask mandates have been easing, state officials essentially said that it’s unwise to fly a “mission accomplished” banner and that the most important thing now is to be prepared for any contingencies — and to learn from past lessons. (Money and Lin II, 2/17)

America is accelerating toward a return to pre-pandemic life, though millions of people aren't yet comfortable abandoning pandemic precautions — or they feel downright threatened by the rapid reversal. For the majority of Americans — particularly vaccinated ones — the virus no longer poses a severe threat to their health, at least for now. But that isn't uniformly true. (Owens, 2/18)