California Governor Issues Statewide ‘Stay at Home’ Order

California Gov. Gavin Newsom give an update to the state's response to the coronavirus, at the Governor's Office of Emergency Services in Rancho Cordova Calif., March 17, 2020. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, Pool)

The governor of California on Thursday issued a statewide stay at home order to combat the CCP virus.

The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Party’s coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement came an hour after Los Angeles County told people to stay home except for essential needs, jobs, and food. Indoor shopping malls and nonessential retail were ordered to close.

San Francisco and its surrounding counties issued stay at home orders to curb the spread of the virus earlier this week.

Newsom said a statewide order is consistent with local orders. And locations including grocery and convenience stores, restaurants for delivery, gas stations, pharmacies, banks, and laundromats are open.

“CA is issuing a statewide, mandatory STAY AT HOME order. Those that work in critical sectors should go to work. Grocery stores, pharmacies, banks and more will stay open. We need to meet this moment and flatten the curve together,” Newsom wrote.

In an address, Newsom said he hopes that Californians voluntarily obey the order, saying they “recognize the need to do more and to meet this moment.”

It came as the governor wrote a letter to President Donald Trump saying that he expects roughly half the state’s population to contract the virus.

“As you know, California has been disproportionately impacted by repatriation efforts over the last few months. Our state and health care delivery systems are significantly impacted by the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases,” Newsom wrote.

“Moreover, we have community-acquired transmission in 23 counties with an increase of 44 community-acquired infections 24 hours. We project that roughly 56 percent of our population — 25.5 million people — will be infected with the virus over an eight week period.”