California Issues Statewide Stay-At-Home Order Due To Coronavirus Crisis

Source: Deadline

March 19, 2020 at 21:54

Gavin Newsom Photo by Rich Pedroncelli/AP/Shutterstock

Several counties in the state, including most of the Bay Area, adopted similar policies earlier this week. Newsom says the state believes more than half of Californians will be infected with COVID-19, or 25.5 million people, over an eight-week period.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a statewide stay-at-home order to mitigate the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The restriction is the first to encompass all 40 million California residents in the state.

“Californians must do what is necessary to meet this moment and help bend the curve,” Newsom said during a late afternoon briefing. “It’s time for all of us to recognize as individuals and as a community we need to do more,” Newsom added.

The statewide order follows tightened Los Angeles County and city of L.A. orders announced earlier today. It also came just hours after Newsom said he expects the virus will infect more than half of California residents over the next eight weeks. He has asked Congress for $1 billion in federal funds to support the state’s medical response.

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