Officials are cautiously optimistic about the near future.

Yesterday, Californian government officials spoke in a press conference about the near future of the state, specifically in regards to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While the officials cautioned against acting as though the virus had been eliminated completely, they were confident that they had made enough progress in the virus-fighting effort that they will soon be able to treat it as an endemic condition, loosening restrictions in the process.

Breaking News: California unveiled a "next phase" pandemic playbook that would treat the coronavirus as a manageable risk, rather than an emergency. https://t.co/kINeRmloEp

— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 17, 2022

“Today is not about moving on but, rather, about moving forward,” California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said. “We move into this next phase with humble confidence and a commitment to be active and aware every step of the way. We move into the next phase smarter than we ever have been.”

“We recognize with humility that we don’t know what we don’t know as it relates to the future, but we have never been more prepared for that future,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom. “It’s in that spirit of optimism that we now move into a new phase of addressing the challenges and realities of this disease,” he said. “We move out of the pandemic phase and we move into a phase which should allow you confidence that we are not walking away, that we’re taking the lessons learned and we’re leaning into the future.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom says California will be the first state to shift to an “endemic” approach to the coronavirus pandemic. The plan unveiled Thursday emphasizes prevention and quick reactions to outbreaks over mandates.https://t.co/FcHpBkItHP

— The Associated Press (@AP) February 17, 2022

COVID cases are on a downward trend in California, though to be safe, the state is stockpiling masks and vaccines in order to quickly address the virus should it flare up again.