FRESNO, CA (KMJ) — Governor Gavin Newsom delivered the news during Thursday’s update:
“Yesterday was the deadliest day for the virus in this state.”115 people were killed by the coronavirus in a 24-hour period.
The number of new cases statewide rose by 5.6%.
However, there was some positive news: the number of new people being sent to the hospital and to the ICU because of the coronavirus went down for two days in a row. The number of hospitalizations and ICU visits being investigated as possible coronavirus cases also went down.
Thursday’s news conference had a lot of discussion about money, and on the pressure to open the state back up.
“This is not a Republican virus or a Democratic virus. It’s not a rural virus or an urban virus. Folks in Kern County, folks in San Bernandino, folks in Tulare with what’s happening in skilled nursing facilities – this knows no geography, it’s impacting every part of the state of California,” said Governor Newsom Thursday.
A brand new executive order from Governor Gavin Newsom says debt collectors cannot take your $1200 check from the federal government’s CARE Act.
The only exception to that is if the money is going to child care or a victims’ fund.
The Governor announced a 90-day forgiveness of fines and late fees on student loans as well.
3.3 million people have filed unemployment claims since March 12th.
Since March 15th, the State has given those Californian just under 4 billion dollars.
A billion of that was just this week.
Governor Newsom says his team is working on making it easier to access help from the Employment Development Department.
“None us are naïve about the responsibility we have as a state and as an administration to make sure that call center gets cleaned up and we do more to process those claimsWe are adding a few hundred more personnel to that task, and we have some business process improvement strategies we’re organizing.”
The Governor also announced that 14 doctors from California are headed to New York.
2 doctors from UC Davis are already there.
20 doctors and nurses from USFF are in New York as well.
Those people are going for two-week stints, and then will have to quarantine for two weeks once they’re back.
“One of the great benefits of these doctors going out to the front lines in New York is what they’ll bring back, which is a deep understanding and knowledge of what’s happening in the most acute point of the crisis in this country.”
The Governor also said this weekend is going to be beautiful out. It’s going to be warm for the first time in a while, and people are going to want to go to parks and beaches.
He warns, if you do that, and you don’t practice safe social distancing, all of the progress the state has made so far could go to go to waste.
“We really want to think about this regionally as a framework. Regions rising back up together, but we’ve got to stay together to the extent possible. But I recognize, 480+ cities, 58 counties, that’s a challenge, and we’re going to try to manage that challenge as best we can.”
