California Tells Residents to Stay Home & Everyone Else Should Too

Yesterday, California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered all 40 million state residents to stay at home until further notice. The strict mandate by Newsome requires Californians to “shelter in place,” which requires everyone to remain at home at all times except for purchasing food, medication, going out for health care needs, and those that must commute to a critical job. This new order is the first of its kind in the country that aims to combat the spread of the coronavirus. 

“This is a moment where we need some straight talk,” Newsom said last night during a press conference. “As individuals and as a community, we need to do more to meet this moment. He added, “I don’t believe the people of California need to be told through law enforcement that it’s appropriate just to home-isolate, protect themselves. We are confident that the people of the state of California will abide by it and do the right thing.”

As of today, 19 people have died in California, while 900 tested positive for the coronavirus. Gov. Newsom’s orders reflect what other country leaders, such as in Italy and China, have implemented as well to flatten the curve, which means “to stagger the number of new cases over a longer period so that people have better access to care.”

Governor @GavinNewsom issued a stay at home order to protect the health and well-being of all Californians and to establish consistency across the state in order to slow the spread of #COVID19.

What does that mean? Find more information here: https://t.co/pTtYNN5DHE

— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) March 20, 2020

The only businesses in California allowed to remain open include:

• Gas stations
• Pharmacies 
• Food: Grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores, take-out, and delivery restaurants 
• Banks
• Laundromats/laundry services

Now we’re wondering when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (and other governors for that matter) will follow suit and instruct their residents to stay home as well. 

Yesterday morning, Gov. Cuomo said 75 percent of the workforce in non-essential services should stay home. However, that gives people too much flexibility. Most state leaders have already closed schools, but only a few have ordered to close all non-essential businesses. It looks as if mayors are taking the lead in their cities and issuing stricter mandates, including in Georgia. Atlanta and Savannah’s mayor have ordered limited closures of non-essential businesses close until further notice. 

“I have signed an Executive Order, effective at midnight, limiting restaurants to take out service, closing bars, gyms, etc. The fate of cities across the globe will be upon soon if we do not follow recommendations on ways to slow the spread of the coronavirus,” the mayor tweeted.

These orders are not in place to take away people’s freedoms. They are merely trying to save people’s lives.