Coronavirus Update: Gov. Newsom Chastises Shelter Scofflaws; 'Virus Doesn't Take The Weekend Off'
SACRAMENTO (CBS SF) -- Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday criticized people who ignored the ongoing coronavirus shelter order over the weekend and packed beaches in Southern California, saying "the virus doesn't take the weekend off."
At the opening of his regular update on California's response to the COVID-19 crisis, Newsom didn't hesitate to chastise those who engaged in reckless behavior during the warm and sunny weekend with the state only weeks away from moving towards reopening.
"This virus doesn't take the weekends off. This virus doesn't go home because it's a beautiful sunny day around our coasts. The likelihood of having a virus-free world is not realistic in the next number of months. We'll look forward to that day as herd immunity comes into effect and we have a vaccine that we can distribute and make available to hundreds of millions of people across this country and billions around the rest of the globe," said Newsom.
He continued: "Until then, we have to manage it. We have to manage risks. We have to manage and augment our behavior. And that's why I cannot impress upon you more to those Californians watching that we can't see the images like we saw, particularly on Saturday, in Newport Beach and elsewhere in the state of California."
The Governor commended the other parts of the state where residents obeyed by the stay-at-home order and park closures and encouraged people to be patient, saying "we are just a few weeks away, not months away, from making meaningful and measurable changes" to the shelter order and social distancing restrictions.
"The only thing that will set us back is our behavior," Newsom said.
While he said he does not want the enforcement of the stay-at-home order to become punitive, Newsom said that he would be taking part in a all-hands meeting with various police officers' associations, county sheriffs' associations and others to discuss the topic of law enforcement with regards to the shelter order.
Newsom went on to say he would discuss in more detail the reopening of businesses and schools on Tuesday, noting that the state's previously outlined six points of criteria would dictate the reopening timeline.
He also announced a series of what he described as "digital roundtables" that would explore issues related to COVID-19 and reopening, especially with restaurants and other businesses. Those online events will be open to the media, the Governor said.
The Governor also announced on Monday that both Colorado and Nevada would be joining California, Oregon and Washington in the Western States Pact with the governors of those states becoming part of a working group with a shared vision for modifying stay at home orders and fighting COVID-19.
"I want to thank Colorado and Nevada for joining the Western States Pact," said Newsom. "COVID-19 doesn't follow state or national boundaries, and it will take every level of government, working together to get the upper hand on this virus."
Newsom provided the latest numbers in the COVID-19 emergency, saying there were 45 new deaths
and 1,300 new positive cases confirmed in the past 24 hours. The state now has a total of 43,464 cases.
While the state also saw 1.4 percent increase in hospitalizations, ICU numbers flattened with just new individual taken into intensive care with coronavirus since Sunday.
