A glimmer of hope

It’s risky to dole out praise and offer hope amid this pandemic. But California and its leaders from Gov. Gavin Newsom on down are taking the serious steps needed to limit the human toll.

There’s undeniable harm ahead. Schools may be closed until the fall. A recession looms, potentially increasing a jobless surge that’s already felt. Health care will be pressured as never before. The character of a shutin state of 40 million will be tested as never before.

But there’s a payoff, too. Newsom cautiously believes California can flatten the upward curve of infections though it may take until June. He’s lining up 200 million masks to fill a major safety gap left by a floundering federal effort. He’s also shipping out 500 ventilators to other states that need the lifesaving devices badly. Call it symbolism, but such steps aren’t matched elsewhere.

There are other important actions. The court system’s oversight body is ordering a halt to nearly all evictions and erasing bail requirements on lowlevel charges in order to keep suspects out of cramped jails. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti wants every resident to wear a mask when outside. San Francisco Mayor London Breed came out early on the need for business closures and home confinement while other leaders across the country wavered. Safety and science won out over avoidance and delay.

As the most populous state, California might be expected to log the worst numbers. But it’s fourth on the list for infections and third in fatalities. Both categories are growing but at a slower rate than other hardhit states. This state’s proactive measures appear to be paying off.

It’s still not an encouraging picture. But it brings up difficult choices not faced elsewhere such as easing social controls and returning to normal life. Those calls can’t be made or even publicly contemplated for now. The fight to stem the outbreak demands full attention. The virus is expected to linger, though medical experts don’t know for how long. An effective vaccine may not be available for up to a year.

But for a state penned up indoors and with millions left without work, relief can’t come soon enough. If the pandemic can be curbed, it will be a triumph and California will have played a leading role. But it will present more challenges as a shattered economy and disrupted society tries to rebuild.