SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Governor Gavin Newsom held a press conference from quarantine on Monday, in which he provided more details on his children testing positive for coronavirus and the family's subsequent quarantine.
Newsom said that all three children were in close contact with a California Highway Patrol officer who tested positive for coronavirus, though he did not say what the exact circumstances were. Newsom and his family tested negative on Sunday.
"We chose to wait based upon the review, or rather based upon the recommendation of a local health officer, in my case, folks that work on our team...they encouraged, not required, that we wait 48 hours to get tested because they didn't want a false sense of negative," Newsom said.
Newsom's family began their quarantine clock after that negative result came in. Newsom also said that in addition to himself, First Partner Jennifer Siebel and their three children, there is also a woman living in the home and within "the pod" of the Newsom household, who has also tested negative.
"Clearly, anyone that's prone to be with their kids isolated or quarantined for many, many days...it is a very challenging and trying time and now it's certain something that now has been brought home quite literally," Newsom said. "That said, I've deep empathy and respect for people who don't have the supports of people who are in my position."
Newsom also took time to update people on a highly anticipated step of coronavirus recovery in the state: vaccines.
Here are some of the updates that Gov. Newsom provided on vaccine distribution in California:
- A potential third manufacturing of a vaccine was announced from AstraZeneca, joining Moderna and Pfizer.
- The FDA will likely approve one or more of the vaccines in early Dec.
- Mass vaccination will not be likely for a while, but distribution will begin after FDA approval in phases.
- Phase one of distribution will be focused on healthcare workers. This will also have to be broken down further, as Newsom says there likely will not be enough vaccines for all 2.4 million healthcare workers in California at first.
- Phase two of distribution will be targeted toward those in assisted living care facilities or similar, first responders and those in critical infrastructure.
- California's scientific safety review has looked at phase one and two data of the vaccines and has no concern so far. The workgroup hopes to access phase three data when the FDA and CDC receive that information.
