Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
In the face of an exponential increase in COVID-19 cases in California, Governor Gavin Newsom and the state Department of Public Health today announced a limited stay-at-home order, which requires work, movement and non-essential meetings to stop between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. in counties with a purple alert.
The order, according to a government statement, will go into effect on Saturday, November 21 from 10 p.m. until December 21 at 5 a.m. in the purple alert counties, which are being affected with the highest rates of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases and COVID-19 hospitalizations.
"The virus is spreading at a rate we have not seen since the beginning of the pandemic; the next few days and weeks will be critical to stop the increase ?in cases? We are sounding the alarm," Governor Newsom said. "It is crucial that we act to slow transmission and delay hospitalizations before the death count rises. We have done it before and we must do it again," he added.
The limit order with the name "Stay at Home (Stay at Home)" is designed to reduce disease transmission, the document notes.
It also details that activities performed between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. - often nonessential and more frequently related to social activities - and gatherings that are more likely to lead to inhibition and reduced likelihood of complying with safety measures, such as wearing face masks and practicing social distancing.
"We know from our stay-at-home order this spring, which bent the curve in California, that reducing movement and avoiding crowds dramatically decreases the spread of COVID-19, hospitalizations and deaths," said Mark Ghaly, California Secretary of Health and Human Services.
He added that additional, stricter measures may need to be taken if the curve does not flatten quickly, while these tough, temporary measures could help prevent future curfews.
Erica Pan, acting Public Health Officer for the State of California, said that these actions are asking people to modify their daily lives to stop the increase in infections: "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 endanger the lives of thousands of people and overwhelm our health care system," he stressed.
The rate of COVID-19 cases increased by approximately 50 percent in California during the first week of November and, as a result, Governor Newsom along with state public health officials have announced a list of measures to protect citizens and, in turn, the state's health care system.
Just Monday, the state placed an "emergency hold" on the Safer Economy Plan, putting more than 94 percent of California's population on the purple alert, the most restrictive of all.
The government said the state will continually monitor the data and more counties may enter a more restrictive alert level if necessary; in addition, people are required to wear face masks when outside their homes.
Also, late last week, the state issued a travel alert, along with Oregon and Washington, urging people entering the state or returning home from travel to quarantine themselves to stop the spread of the virus.
The travel alert also calls for avoiding non-essential travel outside of California and asks people to quarantine themselves for 14 days after arriving from another state or country; finally, residents are encouraged to stay home.
