California governor issues sweeping statewide 'stay at home' order over coronavirus

By Dan Whitcomb and Steve Gorman

 

FILE PHOTO: California governor Gavin Newsom speaks at a news conference as he signs SB 113, which will enable the transfer of $331million in state funds to the National Mortgage Special Deposit Fund in San Diego, California, U.S. October 9, 2019. REUTERS/ Mike Blake

 

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California's governor on Thursday issued an unprecedented statewide "stay at home order" directing the state's 40 million residents to hunker down in their homes for the foreseeable future in the face of the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic.

 

Governor Gavin Newsom's directive, effective immediately, marks the largest and most sweeping government clampdown yet in the worsening public health crisis brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak, which he predicted could infect more than half the state within eight weeks.

 

"We are confident the people of California will abide by it, they will meet this moment," Newsom, a Democrat in his first term as governor of the nation's most populous state, said at a late-afternoon news briefing from the state capital in Sacramento.

 

"They'll step up as they have over the last number of weeks to protect themselves, to protect their families and to protect the broader community in this great state and the world we reside in."

 

Newsom said the order was essential in light of modeling by experts that showed roughly 56 percent of the state's residents, or 25 million people, would contract the respiratory illness in the next eight weeks. Such numbers would require nearly 20,000 more hospital beds than the state could provide.

 

Already more than 1,000 Californians have been confirmed as infected and 18 have died, the third largest death toll in the United States behind only Washington state and New York.

 

California is home to some 40 million people, including an estimated 108,000 homeless. Newsom said exceptions to the stay-at-home rule would be granted for residents to make necessary trips to grocery stores, pharmacies, doctors and in some cases work. He did not give an end date for the order but suggested that it would last for at least eight weeks.

 

Newsom earlier on Thursday asked President Donald Trump to send a U.S. Navy hospital ship to the port of Los Angeles "immediately" as the state braces for the expected surge in the number of coronavirus cases.

 

He said Los Angeles, as the nation's second-largest city, would likely be "disproportionately impacted" by the pandemic in the coming weeks.

 

Trump earlier this week said he would deploy two Navy hospital ships, one to each coast, but defence officials have said that they were yet ready to take on patients.

 

In a separate letter sent to U.S. congressional leaders, Newsom asked for additional federal funding for unemployment insurance and social safety net programs and aid to small businesses, schools and universities.

 

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb and Steve Gorman; Editing by Bill Tarrant & Simon Cameron-Moore)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-20

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With all the homeless in Calif, this will spread like wildfire.  Thousands will die. 

Virus aside...CA is a text book lesson on poor governing.....

Bring back memories of the movie Judge Dredd robotics dealing with the sick is nearing reality.

Great to see governors doing things to help while the whithouse fiddles and lies.

100,000 homeless, that could spread like wildfire 

If you go to San Francisco please wear flowers in your hair.

6 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

If you go to San Francisco please wear flowers in your hair.

The applicable scene from DH Lawrence's novel comes to mind

Thailand is becoming China. California is becoming Italy.

39 minutes ago, pgrahmm said:

Virus aside...CA is a text book lesson on poor governing.....

Ha ha and that’s why they have the 5th largest economy on the planet no actually they get lots(not all)rite 

It can be expected that some people will leave LA, N.Y., etc... in order to protect themselves, and then spread the virus all over the country.

An off topic deflection post about NYC and a reply has been removed. 

It´s a little bit of Clint Eastwood in that guy. Better listen to him. We all know what happens to people that went against Clint.

Edited March 20, 20206 yr by Matzzon

modeling by experts showed . . .  25 million people, would contract the respiratory illness in the next eight weeks.

 

What are they using - plasticine?

 

7 hours ago, Cryingdick said:

If you go to San Francisco please wear flowers in your hair.

Corona Iris ?

17 hours ago, Canuck1966 said:

100,000 homeless, that could spread like wildfire 

It is expected that ~60,000 homeless will get covid-19 with 20,000 needing hospitalization.

 

CA has only fanned the flames with all the political correctness and refusal to address homelessness/addiction/sanitation problems.  

Originally, cholera was the disease expected to tear-through homeless encampments this summer, now, it will be covid-19 and cholera!

 

 

Illinois is going to Shelter in Place tomorrow.

 

1 hour ago, Iron Tongue said:

CA has only fanned the flames with all the political correctness and refusal to address homelessness/addiction/sanitation problems. 

What would you propose they do to remedy the homelessness situation? The homeless would prefer California if possible because of the warm weather. But what should the state do with them?

2 minutes ago, jcsmith said:

What would you propose they do to remedy the homelessness situation? The homeless would prefer California if possible because of the warm weather. But what should the state do with them?

 

It looks like doing nothing at all and nature takes its course is the plan.

Wonder how long it will be before the opportunists start looting? 

20 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

With all the homeless in Calif, this will spread like wildfire.  Thousands will die. 

I'd thought same thing when this all started happening. They might as well start lining up at crematorium. Seriously.

24 minutes ago, Number 6 said:

I'd thought same thing when this all started happening. They might as well start lining up at crematorium. Seriously.

 

That's only half the story though. Now if you didn't have the virus before you are ordered into your room with your 6 roommates and are sure to catch it. 

20 hours ago, Sujo said:

Great to see governors doing things to help while the whithouse fiddles and lies.

Yep, Trump-hating Democratic governors trying to (further) crash the stock market and their own states' economies to make him look bad and get Biden elected in November. This sophomoric action should be transparent to critical thinkers. There will be unintended consequences. Why doesn't Newsom do something constructive for once, like address California's homeless, it seems to me a potential primary playground for the Wuhan Corona virus. Advise that you check your TDS as well as the state of your viruses.

gun shops report rocketing sales but guys in houston are already armed to the teeth with large stock of ammo in all gauges .they always expected trouble some time .enough to defend the alamo again

On 3/19/2020 at 10:38 PM, Sujo said:

Great to see governors doing things to help while the whithouse fiddles and lies.

Gavin Newsom has complimented Trump on his handling of the coronavirus. To whom should we assign more credibility: an anonymous internet poster or Newsom, also a political adversary of Trump, but certainly in the know?

16 hours ago, Cryingdick said:

Wonder how long it will be before the opportunists start looting? 

We may be reaching another situation where guns like AR-15s are the perfect tool to protect one's possessions and families.

1 hour ago, Crazy Alex said:

We may be reaching another situation where guns like AR-15s are the perfect tool to protect one's possessions and families.

 

Sundown you better beware if I find you creeping' round my back stairs...

20 hours ago, Iron Tongue said:

It is expected that ~60,000 homeless will get covid-19 with 20,000 needing hospitalization.

 

CA has only fanned the flames with all the political correctness and refusal to address homelessness/addiction/sanitation problems.  

Originally, cholera was the disease expected to tear-through homeless encampments this summer, now, it will be covid-19 and cholera!

 

 

 

Wow! Cholera in the US. I never thought I'd ever witness something like that.

Newsom has done nothing more that a bunch of European countries have done.

 

California is a densely populated State, and unfortunately people, especially the young don't always do the right thing for the greater good, so sometimes draconian measures are required to save people from themselves.

 

Yet somehow a lot of folks on here seem to find it an excuse for general US bashing or a make it a spin on socialism over reach.

 

Can we just all please agree that together we need to do whatever it take to get through this nightmare

On 3/22/2020 at 3:33 AM, GinBoy2 said:

Can we just all please agree that together we need to do

Which brings to mind Rodney King's "Can we all get along?" Which brings to mind the LA riots. Cousin's family showed up at the front door one morning, teeth chattering though on a hot sunny SoCal day,

"They are coming over from Compton..."