Coronavirus Response: Gov. Newsom Issues Executive Order In Effort To Bend The Curve
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The governor issued an executive order on Saturday that expands the state's response to the coronavirus outbreak in an effort to bend the curve.
"This has been a very challenging time," Governor Gavin Newsom said in a press conference. "And it's times like this when we're filled with anxiety and a tremendous amount of uncertainty.
The governor spoke with a tone of realism, but also optimism, in the latest update on addressing this COVID-19 pandemic. Newsom pointed out the anxiety over testing for coronavirus – the focus is now on so-called smart or targetted testing – as his team not only tallies the number of positive results but negative results as well.
"The bottom line for us is we want to know what the spread is," Newsom said. "We want to know if we're bending the curve. We want to know if our stay-at-home orders are effective. That's fundamentally the point of testing in terms of the broader sample."
Another highlight in the governor's update: The critical need for more hospital beds as the virus spreads.
The governor said that at this point his team has been able to secure 1,000 beds, 8 medical field stations which amount to 2,000 beds, as well as 2,400 hotel rooms. The state also just received a shipment of the strategic national stockpile.
"That's gowns, that's gloves, that's masks, that's just the first of four that will be arriving," Newsom said. "We're told that they're already beginning to send the second order as I speak to you tonight."
Newsom addressed the issue of essential and nonessential work amid this stay-at-home order saying it's exactly what most think it is. Food is essential, you'll be able to go to the pharmacy, the laundromat, and while it is a time of uncertainty, the governor says it's also a time of incredible philanthropy and support.
"Quite literally thousands and thousands of specific requests of examples that have been given to us in real-time of people wanting to help," Newsom said. "It's a mindset of abundance in our belief that we can not only get through this, but in our capacity that we can meet this moment together."
