Coronavirus California Update: Newsom Orders Bars, Wineries Closed; Home Isolation Of All Seniors
SACRAMENTO (CBS SF) -- Bars, nightclubs, wineries and brew pubs across California have been ordered to close Sunday, while all seniors have been told to isolate at home as health officials seek to limit the continuing spread of the novel coronavirus.
At an afternoon press conference, Newsom announced the state now had a total of 335 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus, along with six deaths.
Aside from those 65 and older, Newsom also called on those with chronic conditions to self-isolate at home.
"We are doing so with our eyes wide open at the magnitude of what that means and the need to provide wrap-around services to support our seniors in need of medical supplies, in need of meals and the like," said Newsom.
At least 13 separate task forces were working to come up with logistics and processes to supply homebound seniors with neccesary supplies, Newsom said.
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Newsom also said while bars and wineries and the like would be closed, restaurants will be allowed to continue serving customers, but at half capacity in order to allow space for social distancing.
In California, the new orders are "guidelines" that "we have the capacity to enforce if necessary," Newsom said.
However, when asked if authorities would be increasing patrols to crack down on bars or restaurants, Newsome replied, "I'm not ratcheting up enforcement...or a police state."
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Newsom also said that officials were working to protect the homeless across the state, getting individuals -- especially those at risk -- out of encampments and into housing at hotels and motels. Newsom estimated the state's homeless population at approximately 108,000.
An online portal to help people determine whether they need to be tested for the novel coronavirus was set to be launched in limited fashion in California by Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Sunday.
The website by Verily, a division of Google/Alphabet, would be available to people in Santa Clara County and San Mateo County initially and then expanded to the Central Valley and other counties at a later date.
The portal, which would allow people with symptoms or who have come in contact with coronavirus patient to determine if and where they can be referred for testing, was highlighted by President Donald Trump Friday whi said Google would be "very quickly" launching a national website on coronavirus testing.
However, hours later the Silicon Valley giant clarified the roll out would be slower than he promised and focused first on the Bay Area.
"We are developing a tool to help triage individuals for Covid-19 testing," said Google. "Verily is in the early stages of development, and planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time."
