‘Times are changing’: People seeking normalcy in Sacramento take vaccine rollout in stride

A year ago, Sacramento could not have looked more different.

Shortly after COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic in March 2020, the day-to-day bustle in California’s capital city ground to a halt. Sacramento was practically a ghost town in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Silent streets, once noisome with cars, offered a perfectly traffic-free drive with nowhere to go.

Millions of Californians were sent home to work remotely, or to wait out the economic restrictions imposed by the virus, or put out of work altogether. The change was abrupt — from normal life to a sudden paradigm shift.

But California has come a long way since. After facing the worst of a winter surge that accounted for thousands of deaths and many more infections, the state appears poised to reach the light at the end of a very long tunnel.

Since early January, new infections have steadily tapered off. At the peak of the winter surge, the California Department of Public Health was reporting daily infection totals in the range of 50,000. Recent daily reports are the lowest the state has seen in months. On April 3 — the most recent date with complete data — just 1,297 people were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19, for a running total of 3.6 million infections and more than 59,000 deaths. Daily infections haven’t been that low since April of last year.

A contributing factor of the improving viral situation is the state’s vaccine rollout. Even as new coronavirus variants with increased rates of transmission crop up across the state, vaccines are being administered with greater speed, and, as California moves toward eligibility for anyone 16 and older this week, vaccination rates could explode. Already, 14.8 million Californians have gotten their first shot, and 7.4 million have gotten the second dose as well.

For many eager to leave the confines of their homes after more than a year of restrictions, now seems like the right time. Last month, Sacramento County was moved to the less restrictive red tier, allowing for indoor dining and other indoor business to resume with some modifications. Public health experts have cautioned against implementing a full-scale return to pre-COVID life too quickly, warning that another surge could occur if all precautions are dropped prematurely.

“It’s really difficult to temper that enthusiasm and excitement to get back to doing things semi-normally ... if there’s an indication society is ready to open up, it’s hard to do that slowly,” Dr. Aydin Nazmi, an epidemiologist and Cal Poly professor, said last month. “The data shows that when we do open up, there’s usually a spike.”

Still, Sacramento residents in need of a change of pace have begun to test the waters.

A day on the town

Old Sacramento looked like a relic from the past this Sunday afternoon — not exactly like a 19th century Western town, but more like a city in spring 2019.

The mild weather drew crowds out to the riverside tourist district for a chance to stretch their legs. Old Sacramento has been a popular destination amid the pandemic — it’s relatively open and there’s lots of space to social distance.

This Sunday looked almost normal in comparison with the below-average patronage over the last several months.

Robert Ulucan, the owner of Copper Forged, a jewelry store on Front Street, said it was actually better than normal.

“It’s a little busier than normalcy on the weekends,” Ulucan said. “People have been stuck at home for the year and things are loosening up, so people are pouring in more than before, and we just hope to keep that going.”

According to Ulucan, business started picking up in a big way three weeks ago, shortly after Sacramento County moved to the red tier. Running a non-essential business, he was forced to temporarily close and take on hourly work just to stay afloat. Needless to say, he’s glad for the boost in business and he was able to quit his other job.

Ulucan’s customers often proudly tell him they’ve gotten the vaccine — and that sense of safety is helping to draw them into his shop.

Busy even for a fair spring day, street parking was nearly completely full Sunday. Cars circled around and around waiting for someone to leave a spot, filling the street with constant movement.

Antonio Munoz, who stood waiting for his daughters to finish their ride on a merry-go-round by the water, said the sudden boom in public life does come as a bit of a surprise.

“It’s like a night-and-day experience for all of us — not being able to see anybody outside to seeing everybody,” Munoz said. “I think times are changing right now.”

With more people getting vaccinated, Munoz sees a diminishing threat from coronavirus.

“If it’s an option for you (getting the vaccine), do it. If you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to. That’s the great thing about living here in America,” he said. “I think if you do your part, all this will be speeded up.”

He said he felt safe going out at this point and was looking forward to a sit-down meal with his family. Echoing a common theme among people enjoying the sun in Old Sacramento, Munoz said people are just itching to get out.

“I think a year is enough,” he said.

Emily Dailey said a big comfort for her is the fact that she and her husband have been vaccinated. She’s a teacher and a lot of people she knows are vaccinated as well. Already being back at work, she said things are pretty close to normal in her sphere.

Dailey and her husband took a long time off from nonessential public activities, but now she’s ready to try to regain some lost time.

“The vaccinations have made all the difference for most people I know,” Dailey said. “I don’t want other people to go out if they’re not vaccinated or if they’re compromised in some way, but I’m feeling like ... we’re safe and it’s time to start doing stuff.”

Amanda Gayheart said that in the last six weeks or so she’s started to take a few trips out. Being cooped up has taken a toll on her, so she started going back out for her mental health.

“You can only watch Netflix for so long. I’m just over it, pretty much,” Gayheart said. “It’s about time. Not only that, the weather’s perfect.”

This story was originally published April 12, 2021 at 5:00 AM.