California last week became the first state to formally shift to an “endemic” approach to COVID-19. Lawmakers say the move was meant to ease the state back to a more normal existence – lifting masking requirements indoors and planning when students can stop wearing masks in classrooms.
Schools across Indiana have already started to lift mask and contact tracing requirements, and Regenstrief Institute Vice President for Data and Analytics Shaun Grannis said there are positive indications that these actions are safe.
“We don’t have any indications of any new major significant variants that we think might cause problems. We know that we’re increasingly developing immunity among our population.”
He said moving into warmer spring months will also encourage more outdoor interaction and reduce viral spread.
Grannis said he hopes Indiana will eventually move into an endemic state, and he expects states will handle this process differently.
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