Gov. Gavin Newsom: California to reopen on June 15

By Teddy Grant Published: April 6, 2021

Gov. Gavin Newsom: California to reopen on June 15

FILE - In this Friday, May 22, 2020, file photo, California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference at the Veterans Home of California in Yountville, Calif. A federal appeals court has denied a Southern California church's request to overturn the state's coronavirus restrictions barring worship services indoors during the coronavirus pandemic. The Sacramento Bee says Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals leaves the door open for addressing Gov. Gavin Newsom administration's limits on church attendance if a California county is in a less-restrictive COVID-19 tier. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, Pool, File)

California plans to fully reopen in the middle of June as COVID-19 infection rates drop and vaccination rates increase in the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced Tuesday.

“We are announcing today that on June 15, we will be moving beyond the blueprint, and we’ll be getting rid of the colored tiers,” Newsom said, referring to California’s color-coordinated system for safety restrictions, HuffPost reported.

The June 15 target date is based on the state keeping its current vaccination pace. According to reports, California has already given out 20 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, with plans to double the number of doses it administers once it has the proper stock.

Unlike Texas and Alabama, California’s mask mandate is to remain in effect. Newsom said wearing masks are “the most powerful, important, non-pharmaceutical intervention you can do to mitigate the spread of the disease.”

According to HuffPost, the rate of positive cases in the state is at 1.6%.

California has “administered more doses than all but five nations in the world,” Newsom said.