At a news conference today, California Governor Gavin Newsom and California health officials have called for the home isolation of all seniors in the state and asked for the immediate shutdown of bars, nightclubs, brew pubs and wineries to help stop the spread of Covid-19 coronavirus, now considered a global pandemic.
This afternoon, Governor Newsom held a press conference where, in addition to requesting the immediate shut down of bars, that restaurants should reduce capacity by half and provide enough space for "deep social distancing." The governor said restaurants can continue to operate with curbside food service and at-home food deliveries. In the question and answer period with reporters, Newsom clarified that he is not ordering the shutdown but he expects his requests on restrictions to be upheld. He also stated there should be no more hospital visits unless it was an "end of life" issue.
The California Governor explained he realized these are harsh measures but clarified that he is not ordering the shutdown but asks for his requests to be honored. There have already been national lockdown orders in countries across the globe, including France and Spain. Other states like Ohio and Illinois have already ordered the closure of restaurants for dine-in consumption, as well as cities like Hoboken, NJ. Similar to California, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo today called for volunteer closure of all businesses.
"The most important thing is to focus on the vulnerable and prioritize their safety," said California Governor Gavin Newsom.
The governor also announced the state would prohibit visitors to nursing homes, except in end-of-life circumstances. He said the state would be setting up a system to help get food to needy home-bound seniors and stated his administration would also launch an effort to get homeless indoors in trailers and motels. The governor said there are 335 cases of COVID-19 coronavirus in the state of California, the third most in the United States, with six people having died of the virus so far.
The governor also announced the state would prohibit visitors to nursing homes, except in end-of-life circumstances. He said the state would be setting up a system to help get food to needy home-bound seniors and stated his administration would also launch an effort to get homeless indoors in trailers and motels. The governor said there are 335 cases of COVID-19 coronavirus in the state of California, the third most in the United States, with six people having died of the virus so far.