Sonoma County Supervisors lift COVID-19 emergency

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors today formally lifted the emergency proclamation that has been in place since March 4, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. The resolution removes the last remaining local emergency directive after Sonoma County’s health officer lifted the local emergency public health order on Feb. 28, the same day the state health emergency expired. The federal COVID-19 health emergency ended on May 11.

The move comes as health officials are transitioning from the pandemic to endemic phase of COVID-19, which so far has resulted in at least 115,490 confirmed cases and 561 deaths in Sonoma County. People continue to contract the virus, but widespread vaccines and less severe variants have resulted in better outcomes in the past several months.

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

COVID-19 information, previously hosted on the county’s emergency website SoCoEmergency.org, is now available on the Department of Health Services site at Sonomacounty.ca.gov/COVID-19. Some of the free resources that were available during the pandemic are being discontinued as the emergency ends. Here is what is still available:

• COVID-19 vaccines will continue to be free for everyone for as long as the supply of federally purchased vaccines lasts.
• If you have a health care provider, you can still go to them for free COVID-19 treatment. If you do not have insurance, you can sign up for coverage at a federally qualified health center. Free telehealth visits with doctors that can prescribe no-cost treatment are also available through Sesame Care by calling (833) 686-5051 or visiting com/covidca.
• Free antigen tests may be difficult to get. For free PCR testing, go to a Color testing site by visiting com/register.

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