California Governor Gavin Newsom has a tough message about efforts to contain coronavirus in California
He says while some people are asking whether the recent surge in coronavirus cases means we're in a second wave, the reality is we're not done with the first wave yet.
The governor says the increased numbers aren’t a shock. The state had expected to see increased numbers with the start of the reopening of the economy. Governor Newsom says they always knew it would be a balancing act between safety, and the economy.
But, he says the only way the reopening works is if people cooperate and do things like wear masks, and practice social distancing. He says halting the reopening process is an option, as is reimplementing some shutdowns.
The news about what’s happening statewide comes as we’ve seen a surge in new coronavirus cases on the Central and South Coasts. It’s possible we could top the 5000 mark in the region Tuesday.
There are currently 4918 cases. Santa Barbara County has 2446. About a thousand of them are linked to the federal prison complex in Lompoc. Ventura County has 2030 cases, and San Luis Obispo County has 442.
Santa Barbara County is one of 11 counties on a state watch list for not meeting certain reopening milestones. In the county’s case, the number of new cases per 100,000 is too high. The state says it’s currently at 96 per 100,000. And, the state says the county’s increased hospitalization rate of nearly 15% is unacceptable. The county reacted to the increases by freezing the next phase of reopenings, which includes personal care services like nail salons and massages.
Governor Newsom says controlling the situation is in our hands. In the end, the government can't do it. It's up to every individual to do their part in helping to stop the spread of the virus
