COVID PM: Our next event & a big day for California reopening details

Quick Take:

Hello, everyone, happy Friday night.

I want to let you know about this very cool event we’ve got planned for next Wednesday night, reflecting upon what we’ve both achieved and thus far failed to achieve in the fight for racial justice over the past year.

The slate of speakers — not to mention the host, my good friend Tulsi — makes this a don’t-miss Lookout event.

One year later flyer — Credit: Kevin Painchaud/Lookout Santa Cruz

Read more about our group of speakers here and sign up for the event here.

And now to today’s busy slate of COVID-19 headlines…

California unveils sweeping plan for full reopening

Covid dining — Jonathan Skogmo, CEO and founder of Jukin Media, Inc., walks through a deserted portion of the company’s offices in Culver City on May 20, 2021. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

‘No longer needed for the foreseeable future’: State officials on Friday unveiled perhaps their most eagerly anticipated pandemic-related guidelines, which will steer California into a new, fully reopened age. Come June 15, Californians will wake up to a world that looks nothing like the past year-plus — one where businesses can open their doors without COVID-19 constraints on capacity or requirements for physical distancing, and where people who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks in most situations. California also will align with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when it comes to travel, according to Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s Health and Human Services secretary. More from the LA Times on that here.

How life in California will change with June 15 reopening

Mask — A woman’s mask hangs from her ear as she walks along south Catalina Avenue in Redondo Beach’s Riviera Village shopping area earlier this month. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

What are the key points? California is moving forward with a dramatic reopening of the economy on June 15 that will remove nearly all of the restrictions residents have been living with for more than a year. The move comes as daily coronavirus cases have plummeted and vaccinations have increased in the state. Here’s a rundown of what you need to know.

Many seniors have lost strength, could need rehabilitative services

A line at Trader Joe's — Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

‘I found it hard to get up and get out of bed’: A little-discussed, long-term toll of the COVID-19 pandemic is that large numbers of older adults have become physically and cognitively debilitated and less able to care for themselves after sheltering in place. More from Kaiser Health News here.

Cash to help California renters goes unspent with eviction protections expiring soon

Evictions protest — A broad coalition of housing rights advocates rallied in September at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse to protest eviction orders issued against renters. On Thursday, the California Legislature voted to extend protections against evictions through June 30. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

‘There is tremendous anxiety on the part of our constituents about the challenges of accessing this money’: Months after the state approved $2.6 billion to help California tenants pay rent amid hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, advocates say a disappointingly low number of people have applied, as the program has been hampered by a slow start, confusion and bureaucratic red tape. More from the LA Times here.