Commentary: Let’s keep vaccinating against COVID so California can fully reopen in June

As the outlook brightens that California can reopen with confidence in the wake of COVID-19, we must remain fully vigilant to beat back the pandemic.

The encouraging news is that we’re making progress. Many Californians have come together in recent months to slow the spread of COVID-19 by getting vaccinated. More than one-third of all Californians — surpassing 11.6 million people — are now fully and safely immunized.

As a result, our hospitalizations have been steadily decreasing for months, and California is now ranked 10th in the nation in administering at least one dose per person. More than 70 percent of Californians over the age of 65 and 57 percent of eligible adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine. And, toward the end of April, California’s virus rate was the lowest of any state in the nation, according to federal numbers.

But our fight to defeat COVID-19 isn’t over.

We know there are still many Californians yet to be vaccinated. By partnering with trusted messengers with deep connections to our most vulnerable, we can make sure everyone is reached and can fully understand that COVID-19 vaccines are safe, highly effective, and the only way to stop the pandemic.

I believe the COVID-19 vaccines are our best, safest and surest tool to end this pandemic. It’s why, using my experience as an emergency room doctor, I volunteered these past few months to to help vaccinate essential workers and other people in rural communities and under-served areas in my district.

If we can meet this challenge, California can keep on pace to administer about 2 million vaccines per week, with anticipated increases in vaccine supplies from the federal government. We already have surpassed the equity metrics required to reopen by administering almost 5 million doses in those communities most disproportionately harmed by COVID-19, per the Healthy Places Index.

If we can keep up our pace, we will have vaccinated enough Californians to look forward to reopen the economy by mid-June. This also will involve seeing continued stabilization in our data. The state and its partners will continue to monitor the new variants and the vaccines’ potency in suppressing them.

But right now, state officials and I are hopeful.

The question is: Are we going to keep working together to get closer to the finish line? Vaccines are an essential function in the safe, sustained and equitable recovery for California. Outdoor events and venues could more fully reopen with expanded capacity, businesses could welcome back more customers, and our kids must return full-time to their classrooms.

More importantly, our grandparents who, for too long, couldn’t hug their arms around their children and grandchildren would be able to enjoy cherished time with their families and friends.

And so much more could happen.

We are so close. Let’s all get vaccinated so we can flip off the dimmer switch and let the Golden State shine again.