California issues ‘stay at home’ order to 40 million as virus grows
California’s 40 million residents should stay home indefinitely and venture outside only for essential jobs, errands and some exercise, governor Gavin Newsom declared, warning the coronavirus threatens to overwhelm the state’s medical system.
The move, the most sweeping by any state so far, was an exclamation point at the end of a week of increasingly aggressive moves meant to keep the virus in check by forcing people to stay away from each other as often as possible.
“I can assure you home isolation is not my preferred choice, I know it’s not yours, but it’s a necessary one,” Mr
Newsom said. He assured residents they “can still take your kids outside, practicing common sense and social distancing”. “You can still walk your dog,” he said. Restaurant meals can still be delivered to homes.
The announcement came after the release of a letter to US president Donald Trump where Mr Newsom warned the virus was spreading quickly and eventually could infect more than half the state’s population.
The governor said he did not expect police would be needed to enforce his stay-at-home order, saying “social pressure” already has led to social distancing throughout the state.
“I don’t believe the people of California need to be told through law enforcement that it’s appropriate just to home isolate,” he said.
The Democrat who is barely a year into his first term also called up 500 National Guard troops to help distribute food. The move comes after panic buying led to massive lines at some grocery stores.
There are at least 1,030 confirmed cases in California and 18 people have died, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Just before Mr Newsom’s statewide declaration, Los Angeles announced what officials there called a “Safer at Home” order that carried the same restrictions.
“We’re about to enter into a new way of living here in Los Angeles,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “What we do and how we do it and if we get this right will determine how long this crisis lasts.”
In the letter to Mr Trump, Mr Newsom said California’s infection rates were doubling every four days in some areas and that 56 per cent of the state’s population could contract the virus in the next eight weeks, which would be more than 22 million people. He later said the “overwhelming majority won’t have symptoms” and will be fine, but that up to 20 per cent could be hospitalised.
“If we meet this moment we can truly bend the curve” of escalating cases, Mr Newsom said.
Mexico and the US yesterday announced plans to sharply limit travel over their busy shared border as part of efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus.
Thetwogovernmentsagreed to prohibit recreational and tourist travel, similar to the restrictions put in place earlier this week along the US and Canadian border.