DENVER (AP) — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has laid out his vision for how he thinks the state can emerge from the COVID-19 emergency with a plan that emphasizes training for health care workers and improving indoor air filtration systems.
“For those who are fully vaccinated, it is perfectly acceptable, and you do not need to feel guilty returning to your normal lives,” Polis said at a news conference Friday.
The Democratic governor’s plan aims to reduce the likelihood of future health emergencies. It includes improving hospital readiness with testing and COVID-19 approved therapies, expanding the healthcare workforce, updating public health and virus surge plans and promoting indoor air quality improvements in schools and public spaces.
The plan comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to significantly loosen federal mask-wearing guidelines, with most Americans no longer advised to wear masks indoors in public.
However, Polis noted that public settings such as small businesses and universities are still requiring masks, adding that residents should still carry masks.
“It’s just a polite thing to do — to be ready if asked, to put on a mask,” he said.
Polis urged immunocompromised people to ask their doctors about a possible fourth vaccine dose and continue taking precautions during times of high virus transmission.
A little more than 69% of Colorado residents have been fully vaccinated and nearly 78% have gotten at least one dose, according to AP data analysis.
“If you’re not fully vaccinated, I don’t know how many other ways I can say it or that health officials can say it, but the most important thing you can do to reduce your risk significantly is to get vaccinated,” Polis said.
The state also plans to promote federal policy changes for mass testing standards, additional funds for healthcare job training, supply-chain improvements for testing and other medical supplies and investing in long-term COVID-19 research.
“We need to normalize COVID within our healthcare system,” said Scott Bookman, the Colorado health department’s COVID-19 incident commander.
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Originally Appeared Here