CALIFORNIA, USA — Governor Gavin Newsom, along with state health officials, gave an update on the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday.
Newsom started off Tuesday’s briefing with an update of the number of tests the state has done. He said the state passed the 1 million test threshold with the testing 1,033,000 Californians. That includes 41,000 tests deployed in the last 24 hours alone. He also updated the plans to have 80 testing sites deployed in the hard-to-reach areas of the state. Of the 80 that were promised, 76 are open and being used. He said the other four are lagging behind due to land contracts. It was also announced that an additional six sites will be opened in hard-to-reach areas. The governor used Mendocino County as an example. There will also be roaming testing sites opened in the coming days and weeks.
The governor stressed in his update that all tests done at these sites are PCR tests and not antibody tests. He said all tests performed at these sites are free of charge to the consumer.
After testing, the governor talked about the importance of contact tracers to be in place statewide before people can start resuming their normal lives. He said by sometime this week, the first cohort of contract tracers will have been trained and they are looking for the second group to put through training.
Newsom added, “Guided by health and guided by data, we will continue to march down this path of more meaningful modifications.”
When it comes to the opening of other businesses in California, the governor did not go into great detail. He said that offices can open if employees are unable to telecommute. However, offices will need to modify their areas to provide ample room for social distancing.
Both indoor and outdoor malls, as well as strip malls, can open their doors for pickup only under the new modifications. For a full rundown on the rules for malls, click here. He also listed car washes and pet groomers as businesses that can open with modifications.
For a full list of businesses that can begin to reopen in phase two, click here.
Newsom said, “The statewide order affords the opportunity for local government to come in to conform with those guidelines but one can choose… to be a little bit more prescriptive and restrictive. So not everyone is compelled into this phase but that phase is afforded everybody.”
“Others that are trying to get variances on the other side of this to loosen up and move more quickly should know that the statewide order applies to them even if they’re in the process of applying to get the technical support to do a self-certification for a regional variance.”
For a full rundown on industry guidance for dine-in restaurants to open, click here.
After talking about the businesses that can begin to reopen, Newsom reasserted that he thinks over 70% of California’s economy is now reopened with modifications.
The governor also announced the most recent and up-to-date coronavirus numbers. He said 77 people died over the last 24 hours, and additionally 1,443 people tested positive while the number of patients in ICU beds went down 1.4 percent.
On Monday, Newsom also announced a "Western Pact" request for $1 trillion in financial aid. The leaders of five western states - California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and Colorado - have all sent consistent letters to the federal government requesting the aid.
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Click here to watch "Facts Not Fear," a News 8 Special on coronavirus from March 26, 2020.
BACKGROUND:
According to the CDC, coronavirus (COVID-19) is a family of viruses that is spreadable from person to person. Coronavirus is believed to have been first detected in a seafood market in Wuhan, China in December 2019. If someone is sick with coronavirus, the symptoms they may show include mild to severe respiratory illness, cough, and difficulty breathing.
Currently, there is no vaccine, however, the CDC suggests the following precautions, as with any other respiratory illness:
Know how it spreads:
- There is no vaccine
- The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus
- It is thought to spread mainly from person-person between people in close contact
- And believed to be spread by respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes
Protect yourself
- Wash your hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds
- If soap and water aren't available, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Put distance between yourselves and others
Protect others
- Stay home when you are sick
- Wear a facemask if you are sick
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
- If you don't have tissue, cough or sneeze into the inside of your elbow
- Immediately wash your hands after coughing and sneezing
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe
You can find information on disinfecting and cleaning on the CDC's How to Protect Yourself page.
The California Department of Public Health has issued guidance on the use of cloth face coverings to protect against the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19.
The County of San Diego has made face coverings mandatory for those working with the public including grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, convenience stores, and similar businesses.
While officials say these face coverings are not a substitute for practices like social distancing and handwashing, there is evidence to suggest that the use of cloth face coverings by the public during a pandemic could help reduce disease transmission. Officials do not recommend the public use N-95 or surgical masks which are needed by health care workers and first responders.