Statement: Gov. Newsom’s stay-at-home order welcome, but doesn’t go far enough

The order follows weeks of inaction as COVID-19 cases surged

CALPIRG

OAKLAND, Calif. — During a virtual press conference Thursday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new stay-at-home order targeted at specific regions of California, based on COVID-19 case data.

The order prohibits private gatherings, closes several types of businesses, and limits capacity in other businesses in counties with less than 15% ICU capacity, but does not implement those restrictions in counties with more ICU beds available.

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

“There is no good reason to wait until our hospitals are overwhelmed to act to suppress the virus and save more lives. Issuing a stay-at-home order is the right move, but the governor’s order needs to be statewide, immediate and stronger to save as many lives as possible. COVID-19 cases began rising in California again more than a month ago, and now the situation is dire.  By the time any county fills up most of its ICU capacity, it is too late.

“We must also not forget the lessons of the first coronavirus surge in the spring. After implementing a stay-at-home order, we reopened too quickly, before the virus was under control, and that led to far more deaths and economic pain than necessary. We need to stick with any stay-at-home order until statistics show that the governor can lift it without needlessly putting more Californian lives at risk.”

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