Gov. Gavin Newsom revealed a list of six things he wants to see before the Democratic governor considers reopening California following a spate of lockdowns amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Newsom laid out his “roadmap to recovery” over the virus during a news conference Tuesday, which includes a list of factors he will consider before reopening the state. California will depend on “science and public health” to guide the process, he said.
“This phase is one where science and public health, not politics, must be the guide,” Newsom said during the conference. “We cannot be ideological in any way, shape, or form.”
California will have to develop widespread testing ability, not to mention the ability to care for people who are the most at risk of potentially dying from the coronavirus, or COVID-19, which originated in Wuhan, China, before killing more than 20,000 people in the United States.
In addition, Newsom said he wants to see the state develop the capacity for hospitals to handle a potential surge in patients, the identification of promising treatments and therapeutics, as well as development of schools and businesses to create social distancing guidelines.
He also wants to see the creation of a robust data-tracking system that can alert government officials in the event the state must quickly reinstate a lockdown. The Democrat did not provide a date upon which the Golden State can expect an announcement.
California has been on lockdown since March 19. Most governors followed suit after the Trump administration issued guidance on social distancing and other mitigation efforts designed to slow down the spread.
The decision to mandate a lockdown wherein only crucial businesses are allowed to open has come with a considerable amount of pain. Nearly 2 million Californians were thrust into unemployment following Newsom’s order, and more than 16 million Americans lost their jobs.
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