Gov. Newsom floated a potential stay-at-home order — he should do it

Urging people to stay home will save lives

CALPIRG

Oakland, Calif. — During a virtual press conference Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom stated he is considering a stay-at-home order. 

Currently, 51 out of 58 counties are in the most restrictive tier of reopening and there is a limited stay-at-home order in effect from 10pm to 5am. Approximately 75% of the state’s ICU beds are occupied.

Emily Rusch, CALPIRG Executive Director, issued the following statement in response:

“COVID-19 is raging out of control in California, and we have already lost far too many lives to the virus. We need to remember that we have the power to limit the spread and save lives. The best way to do that is by instituting a temporary stay-at-home order in California. 

“The state’s projections show that without immediate action, we could run out of ICU beds before Christmas. Every moment the state waits to take decisive action puts more people at risk. In addition to issuing a stay-at-home order, Gov. Newsom should work to significantly increase California’s testing and contact tracing capacity.

“This is a bitter pill to swallow, but it is the right thing to do to protect public health and our economy. It comes down to this — how many lives will we choose to save?”

Read CALPIRG Public Health Campaigns Director Matt Wellingon’s piece on “How many lives will we choose to save?”

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California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) is a statewide nonprofit that works to protect consumers and public health.