SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday he is considering a curfew and adding more restrictions to the state’s four-tiered coronavirus system.
This comes as 40 counties moved backward Monday, now more than 94% of Californian’s living under the state’s toughest coronavirus restrictions. The state was gradually re-opening its economy as cases leveled off.
Newsom said the state will "pump the emergency brake" in its “Blueprint for a Safer Economy," the roadmap for re-opening businesses across California. The color-coded system allows businesses to be more or less restrictive on a county-by-county basis, depending on the number of new coronavirus cases.
“We are very open and I anticipate by Friday in fact, Dr. Ghaly will be back up making a presentation on the prospect of even more tiered restrictions based on the conditions that exist today,” Newsom said.
This comes as the governor announced county tier levels will be decided each week instead of every two weeks. Counties will have 24 hours to implement restrictions where before they had 72 hours.
“The data we are seeing is very concerning. We are in the midst of a surge, and time is of the essence. Every day matters and every decision matters,” Dr. Mark Ghaly, California Health and Human Services Secretary, said. “Personal decisions are critical, and I am I imploring every Californian to stay home if they can, wear a mask whenever they leave their homes, limit mixing, practice physical distancing, and wash their hands.”
ABC10 medical expert Dr. Payal Kohli said the nation is likely to see a continued trend of governments tightening restrictions unless individuals take the health order more seriously.
“…and unless we really start to get all hands on deck and try to embrace this philosophy from the bottom up, our governors and our mayors can continue to impose more and more restrictions and we’re going to continue to see those numbers go up and up and up until we get to that eventuality, which is that nuclear option of a lockdown,” Kohli said.
Kohli said American’s don’t have the appetite for another lockdown, but we’re dangerously close to getting there. Kohli said states are considering and implementing late-night curfews to limit social gatherings, travel restrictions, quarantine advisories, business capacity restrictions, and may move toward a lockdown that could include only essential activities.
California Health officials are expected to announce more on restrictions on Friday.
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