Sonoma County supervisors formally end COVID-19 emergency declaration

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday formally ended the COVID-19 emergency proclamation that’s been in place since the pandemic started more than three years ago.

The move is largely a matter of government housekeeping, as local, state and federal emergency health orders have previously been lifted.

Local health officials said that while COVID-19 infections are still occurring, spread of the virus has gone from pandemic to an endemic phase. That means COVID-19 is ever-present but manageable, like other coronaviruses or influenza.

“COVID-19 is still in the community, and people still need to get vaccinated and take precautions to avoid getting sick,” Supervisor Chris Coursey, the board chair, said in a statement. “But as we learn to live with this virus, we no longer need to treat it as an emergency.”

The local emergency proclamation was ratified on March 4, 2020, two days after a Sonoma County resident who had just returned from a cruise on the Grand Princess to Mexico became the first local person to test positive for the virus.

The local emergency health order was lifted Feb. 28, the same day Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted California’s state of emergency. The national state of emergency ended May 11.

Throughout the pandemic, public health measures and campaigns have sought to protect the most vulnerable residents, particularly the elderly, people with preexisting medical conditions and those with compromised immune systems.

These groups continue to experience the highest rates of severe COVID-19 illness and death. The disease has claimed the lives of 561 Sonoma County residents, with 76% of the fatalities involving people 65 and older.

With the pandemic officially over, county officials have moved their COVID-19 information from the county’s emergency website to that of the county health services department. Officials said the end of the emergency designation also means some free COVID-19 resources are being discontinued.

But the following are still available, according to the county:

• Existing federal supplies of COVID-19 vaccines will continue to be free.

• Free COVID-19 treatment is still available for those with health insurance. Those without health coverage are encouraged to seek care at a federally qualified health center.

• Free antigen tests may be difficult to get. For free PCR testing, go to a Color testing site by visiting color.com/register.

Despite the lifting of emergency declarations, federal health officials continue to recommend people stay up to date on their vaccinations.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that means everyone aged 6 years and older should get one updated Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine; people 65 and older can get a second dose of updated vaccine; and people who are immunocompromised can get additional doses of updated vaccine.

Also, children 6 months to 5 years old may need multiple doses of COVID-19 vaccine to be up to date, including at least 1 dose of updated Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, depending on the number of doses they’ve previously received and their age.

Tuesday’s action by the Board of Supervisors means the COVID-19 emergency is over at the county government level. Local, state and federal emergencies do not always end at the same time.

For example, last year the state ended the emergency declaration for the 2019 Kincade Fire after state officials completed their response and mitigation efforts and no longer needed emergency powers. Sonoma County still maintains a local emergency proclamation for the Kincade Fire.

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pressreno.