On Tuesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the lockdown in California, including social distancing measures, will continue on through at least April but also possibly through mid-June.
Bending the curve
Newsom cited not relenting on the lockdown until the ‘bending the curve’ happened, meaning a tapering off of new cases and a significant amount of recovered people. The Governor has been largely in favor of a later restart date to keep people in order for hospitals to not be overwhelmed by COVID-19 coronavirus cases.
“We’re trying to bend that curve, but we haven’t bent it,” Governor Newsom said on Wednesday. “April for California would be sooner than any of the experts I talked to would believe is possible.”
Newsom’s statement came 12 hours after President Trump announced a planned April 12th ‘restart’ date, a decision of which has been praised by economists and business owners as an essential need to stave the United States off a depression or recession, but has been derided by health officials as “too soon” and could potentially cause a second wave of cases. Health officials have also advised the president to be flexible in his plans and to possibly do a slower roll out of opened areas to lower the risk of coronavirus spreading.
“I give it two weeks,” Trump said earlier in the week. “I guess by Monday or Tuesday, it’s about two weeks. We will assess at that time and give it more time if we need a little more time. We have to open this country up.”
Newsom also announced ramping up testing in California, a call for more tests and supplies and reminded younger people that the disease does affect them as well. Newsom also noted that half the current cases in California are in people under the age of 50.
“Young people can and will be impacted by this virus. In fact young people are disproportionately testing positive in California,” Newsom said. “This disease impacts everybody.”
Conflicting dates from Trump and Newsom
Both the Governor’s plans and the President’s plans clash, ending a week where both the President and the Governor saw eye to eye on issues surrounding the pandemic.
“Trump is thinking more about the economy,” said economist Helen Rider. “Right now there is a lot at risk. We passed the $2 trillion stimulus package, but that won’t mean much if business doesn’t pick back up. Airlines just narrowly avoided a collapse, and now other industries such as the energy sector and chained restaurants are looking at huge losses. His plan is to quarantine through the worst, then get back out there while taking preventive health measures.”
“Newsom is more concerned about health. He and [New York Gov. Andrew] Cuomo have both said they need more than a few weeks because of the [coronavirus] curve. There’s been a lot of deaths and high disease rates in both states and they know it. For them, with such high populations, of course it might take longer.”
“What’s probably going to happen is a hybrid. For Californians, many won’t be able to decide between Trump’s reopening date or Newsom’s, so there will be at least some reopenings while everyone takes precautions such as masks and sanitizers. We might see baseball games with players wearing masks like how they did in 1919. But the big point is that businesses will open up again, people will travel and the economy starts to pick itself up while the curve stays low.”
“That’s honestly the most likely scenario right now. But then again a week ago there wasn’t a state lockdown in California, so things may continue to change rapidly.”
As of Wednesday, neither Newsom or Trump gave any announcements about which opening date for citizens to follow, with the only thing known about reopening at this time is that it will reopen sometime between April 12th and June 15th, coronavirus rates pending.
California currently has 2,102 cases of COVID-19 statewide with 40 reported deaths, according to the California Department of Public Health.
View Comments (39)
From the lack of personal residents’ concern we are witnessing and bullseye’s on politicians to get things right, June sounds like a possible target date.
Hahahahahahahaha
I will never follow newsome he is worthless nd gonna cause alot of riots n looters if he puts california on lockdown,I dispose gov.he is a liar nd greedy
Tin God Newsom admires his own puffed-up reflection.
He couldn't give a damn about the People of the State of California.
I agree!! He has done nothing for Ca. Can’t stand Gresome Newsom. He needs to GO!!
#VOTERED
Great idea Karen. Let's all get Covid19, get our lungs permanently scarred, or worse. I have applauded Newsom's aggressive proactive approach and the Bay Area's shelter-in-place even before that. We should be planning for continuing this approach into 2021. How long into next year will depend on what the state of affairs is on testing and prevention. It may be necessary to wait until a vaccine comes which would be *late* 2021 at the earliest.
California politicians such as Newsom, Pelosi and Garcetti have exacerbated the homeless situation in our state by not enforcing existing vagrancy laws. Just like San Diego's recent Hepatitis A outbreak, the filth of homeless camps may cause a further spiraling of the Coronavirus outbreak. San Francisco has discarded drug needles and feces on the streets but, once again, the "governor" expects decent taxpaying citizens to pay the price. The arrogance is so obvious; for Newsom, it's all show.
Go hug a tree dickhead
I disagree with this date, he must have a hidden agenda, no wait anything to be on the opposite side of anything Trump. Praying for the earlier date, daily among other things, a wakeup call for America!
Trump Got us here read america and Fact check what you read
Seriously? Think before you make an emotional comment. If you don’t like Trump fine. But don’t be ignorant and blame him for everything that’s wrong with the country. He’s done more for the good of America than any other recent President. Calm your emotions and do some fact checking.
D: Excellent advice.
He's a f-ing idiot. Both him and his @!$% buddy Pan, and Garcia polishes their boots.
https://www.westernjournal.com/harvard-study-finds-covid-19-fatality-rate-far-lower-world-health-org-suggests/
Thank you Gov. Newsome for taking a stand up for the people of the state of California. I do not envy you at this time, where either choice is doomed to receive harsh criticism. Instead, people will think you overreacted, or did not react soon enough. I think that you may have hit the nail squarely, and perfectly on it's head in your answer to this crisis. I applaud as well, your anticipation of a lack of attention we will receive from the Federal Government, and taking actions that may help us to be self-sustaining during this crisis.
You re not to bright. The country needs to be reopened, 660,000 people died From cardiovascular disease last year yet they still sell cigarettes some bacon, seriously open the damn country up Newsom Is an arrogant idiot
Newsome said him self we can not put walls around it and that it spreads so rapidly yet I know no one who knows anyone who has had it or does have it so if the governors words are true staying home and not working aren’t going to do anything for this issue California is full of lazy people who think you should be able to stay home and get a pay check at the expense of the people who work for what they have and work hard to maintain it I will never let that idiot tell me what to do until he realizes that President Trump is his boss I will treat his words like he treats the President’s he is there because America voted him in to office
Tell that to the people that are losing their homes , everyone wasn't born with a silver spoon in our mouths like you
That's funny
Have some more Kool-aid.
I bet if Newsom had to take a month off with out pay , he wouldn't be so quick to keep the state on lock down.
He needs to be fired ....
5G...Global Health. Shut down the 5G.
Yes
FYI I got notice that the Vacaville premium outlets want us to open on 4/8 to the public. I haven’t heard the governor issue a lift date on non-essential businesses. Am I missing something?
Newsome is fear mongering. We know he wants to destroy the state to keep in power. They already started giving it away to the illegals. Lets not skip May all together.
Guess you were wrong, eh?