Quarantining everyone early was necessary, but now we have slowed the spread of COVID-19, and today's policies cannot be continued indefinitely, or we will push a huge number of people to despair and homelessness, for which we have no solution.  

USE MASKS AND EXPOSURE RISK AS CRITERIA for getting people back to work, and outside.

A huge number of Californians have been successfully isolated...but there are huge inequities and hypocrisies with today's policies.  Outdoor work and recreation with small consistent groups (low exposure risk) has been banned, while grocery workers working in indoor environments with hundreds of new people coming through each day (high exposure risk) have been allowed to work with no face mask of any kind.  Entire beaches, parks and all pools have been closed, despite the minimal exposure risk in these environments when masks are used; meanwhile people forced to exercise right next to their homes are crowding some of the denser streets and doing just as much mixing as they would on a trail or beach.

We need to be more strategic and proactive.  Vaccine potential is limited, and timeline for its potential use is too long.  Testing is important but not widespread yet and not reliable.  

Let's use exposure risk and matching quality of masks rather than death rates and antibody tests to start getting Californians back to work NOW! 

Face masks are effective at reducing virus transmission, and their effectiveness increases dramatically with filter quality, mask fit, and proper usage.  As people have started making them from their homes and factories, they are no longer so hard to get.

Start phasing in these types of changes now.  There is no reason to wait for low exposure risk activities to resume.  Get grocery workers and police officers and other high exposure risk employees covered up with 2.5M or better masks and include PPE usage training immediately.  USE COMMON SENSE AND EXPOSURE RISK NOT FEAR to make COVID-19 policy....or with time, the cure will be worse than the problem.  For example:

1) Require masks with PM2.5 filters or better in grocery stores and in enclosed work spaces indoors where exposure risk is high. The state needs to help procure this supply for low income workers and critical businesses, as it is doing for healthcare workers.

2) Require any mask - paper or otherwise, for people working or recreating in close proximity outside, or in interior environments where traffic is low and risk is low.  

3) Require training (online video is fine) for all employees required to wear masks, for proper handling and usage and replacement of masks (improper handling can render them useless).

4) Open up swimming pools and ocean swimming and surfing and outdoor sports. Risk is very minimal for these activities, and pool deck/beach side crowding can be managed or masks required.  Allow any type of masks for outdoor non water sports.

6) Open parks and beaches back up.  Require any type of mask for crowded parks.

7) Let outdoor workers back to work with any type of mask.