The state of California will end its coronavirus State of Emergency in 2023.

The governor’s press office announced the state’s pandemic emergency will end on February 28, 2023, nearly 3 years since it was enacted.

This time was chosen to allow the health care system to handle any potential winter surges in January and February after the holidays.

“Throughout the pandemic, we’ve been guided by the science and data – moving quickly and strategically to save lives. The State of Emergency was an effective and necessary tool that we utilized to protect our state, and we wouldn’t have gotten to this point without it,” said Governor Newsom. “With the operational preparedness that we’ve built up and the measures that we’ll continue to employ moving forward, California is ready to phase out this tool.”

NEWS: @CAgovernor Gavin Newsom announced that the COVID-19 State of Emergency will end on February 28, 2023, charting the path to phasing out one of the most effective and necessary tools that California has used to combat COVID-19. https://t.co/x8heO35nU5

— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) October 17, 2022

As hospitalizations and deaths continue to decrease across the state, Governor Newsom says California has all the tools needed to fight COVID-19 with the SMARTER Plan.

“California’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has prepared us for whatever comes next. As we move into this next phase, the infrastructure and processes we’ve invested in and built up will provide us the tools to manage any ups and downs in the future,” said Secretary of the California Health & Human Services Agency, Dr. Mark Ghaly. “While the threat of this virus is still real, our preparedness and collective work have helped turn this once crisis emergency into a manageable situation.”

According to the CDC, California’s death rate is one of the lowest in the country among other largely populated states.

The full press release can be read here.

California’s COVID19 State of Emergency to End in 2023