Governor Newsom and the California Department of Public Health have issued a limited Stay at Home Order that requires non-essential work, movement and gatherings to stop between 10pm and 5am in counties operating in the state's purple tier. The order goes into effect at 10pm on Saturday, November 21 and remains through 5am on Sunday, December 21, 2020.
On Monday, 28 counties slid back into the most restrictive purple tier, bringing the total number of counties to 40 and representing 94% of the state's population.
The order was issued in response to California's unprecedented rise in COVID-19 occurrence - a case rate increase of approximately 50% in the first week of November statewide. “The virus is spreading at a pace we haven’t seen since the start of this pandemic and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge. We are sounding the alarm,” said Governor Newsom. “It is crucial that we act to decrease transmission and slow hospitalizations before the death count surges. We’ve done it before and we must do it again.”
The order is intended to reduce opportunities for the virus to be transmitted to others and ultimately slow its spread. Similar measures taken by the state in spring, at the onset of the pandemic, helped to flatten the curve and decrease the spread of COVID-19.
“We are asking Californians to change their personal behaviors to stop the surge. We must be strong together and make tough decisions to stay socially connected but physically distanced during this critical time. Letting our guard down could put thousands of lives in danger and cripple our health care system,” said Dr. Erica Pan, the state’s acting Public Health Officer added, “We are asking Californians to change their personal behaviors to stop the surge. It is especially important that we band together to protect those most vulnerable around us as well as essential workers who are continuing their critical work amidst this next wave of widespread community transmission across the state. Together we prevented a public health crisis in the spring and together we can do it again.”
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