California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced his state is moving to the “next phase” of the coronavirus pandemic and will now treat COVID-19 as an endemic disease.

Gov. Gavin Newsom: “What we’re announcing here today is about turning a page, moving from this crisis mentality, moving from a reactive framework to a framework where we are more sentinel in our approach, that we stand firm and confident as we lean into the future, moving away from a reactive mindset and a crisis mindset to living with this virus.”

Many states have recently relaxed or lifted public health restrictions after the worst of the winter’s Omicron surge, though an average of more than 2,000 people are dying of COVID-19 each day across the U.S.