California’s Governor Proposes $2.7 Billion Covid Budget Package

California Governor Gavin Newsom is proposing a $2.7 billion Covid-19 emergency response package in his budget Monday to boost testing and its health-care system following a surge in cases caused by the omicron variant.

A total of $1.2 billion will be used to bolster testing capacity, according to a statement from the governor’s office Saturday. The state’s positive test rate climbed to 21.7%, one of its highest levels since the start of the pandemic.

While the Golden State has taken some of the most stringent measures to curb the latest wave, such as extending its mask mandate till Feb. 15, ...