California is preparing to release a detailed report reviewing how the state handled the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Gavin Newsom said the review is expected to be approximately 1,000 pages long and will outline both the successes and failures of his administration’s COVID-19 response.
The California Health and Human Services Department has been compiling the report. Newsom’s Office told KCRA News it has been years in the making. According to his office, the process has included contributions from outside independent experts who reviewed the state’s COVID-19 guidelines. They assessed the positive and negative outcomes of policies implemented during the pandemic.
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Officials said they expect the review to cover decisions such as the shutdown of businesses and schools, as well as California’s strict mask mandates and vaccine requirements — among the most stringent in the country.
According to Johns Hopkins University & Medicine, California saw more than 12.1 million confirmed COVID-19 diagnoses. The data also attributed 101,159 deaths to the virus as of March 10, 2023.
Newsom discusses report during podcast appearance
Newsom first discussed the upcoming report during a recent interview with conservative podcaster Shawn Ryan. The topic came up when Ryan asked a question fellow podcaster Joe Rogan submitted. Rogan challenged Newsom on the state’s decision to require vaccinations for schoolchildren.
“So with humility and grace, I’ve asked them to have that report done,” Newsom told Ryan. “It’s going to be done next month. And it’ll be the only state that I know of that is putting out a truly objective report of what went right and what went wrong.”
“I know everyone’s a goddamn genius now in hindsight, but at the time, none of us knew what we were up against — including the president of the United States,” Newsom continued.
Voices from critics included in analysis
Newsom said the review will compare California’s response to those of other states. It will also feature perspectives from people who strongly disagreed with the state’s mask mandates and stay-at-home orders. California officials reportedly also consulted international experts.
While the state did not announce a specific release date, the governor said he expects the report to become public sometime next month.
