Nearly a month ago, California Gov. Gavin Newsom became the first U.S. governor to issue a state-wide “stay-at-home” order, mandating on March 19 that all individuals living in the state must “stay home or at their place of residence except as needed to maintain continuity of operations” in certain “vital” infrastructure sectors. On Tuesday the Democratic governor, whose decisions impact some 40 million people, unveiled what his office described as the “six key indicators” that will determine how and when he modifies that “stay-at-home” order, which medical experts believe has saved lived but which has also already cost millions of Californians their jobs.
California’s state-wide stay-at-home order currently runs through May 3, though some counties, including Los Angeles County, have extended the date through May 15. While local officials will likely still be given the ability to decide whether or not to extend social distancing measures, the state is going to be modifying the stay-at-home order soon based upon “six critical indicators.”
While the social distancing measures appear to have helped “flatten the curve,” and the efforts to improve preparedness in the health care system appear to have had a positive impact, Newsom acknowledged Tuesday that the widespread shutdowns “have also impacted the economy, poverty and overall health care in California,” a press release from the governor’s office notes.
“While Californians have stepped up in a big way to flatten the curve and buy us time to prepare to fight the virus, at some point in the future we will need to modify our stay-at-home order,” said Newsom, in a quote highlighted in the release. “As we contemplate reopening parts of our state, we must be guided by science and data, and we must understand that things will look different than before.”
“There is no light switch here, it’s more like a dimmer,” said the governor, as reported by CNN. “I know you want the timeline, but we can’t get ahead of ourselves and dream of regretting. Let’s not make the mistake of pulling the plug too early, as much as we want to.” Based on certain key health metrics and the state’s capacity to handle cases of COVID-19, he suggested, the plan is to “toggle that dimmer, so we get exactly the appropriate lighting, so that we can ultimately transition to herd immunity and that vaccine.”
In a press release Tuesday, the governor’s office detailed the “six key indicators” that will determine how the state rolls back the “shutdown” orders:
- The ability to monitor and protect our communities through testing, contact tracing, isolating, and supporting those who are positive or exposed;
- The ability to prevent infection in people who are at risk for more severe COVID-19;
- The ability of the hospital and health systems to handle surges;
- The ability to develop therapeutics to meet the demand;
- The ability for businesses, schools, and child care facilities to support physical distancing; and
- The ability to determine when to reinstitute certain measures, such as the stay-at-home orders, if necessary.
The press release also provides the following four goals as the state moves toward “herd immunity”:
- Ensure our ability to care for the sick within our hospitals;
- Prevent infection in people who are at high risk for severe disease;
- Build the capacity to protect the health and well-being of the public; and
- Reduce social, emotional and economic disruptions
Below is the full text of governor’s office press release Tuesday detailing the “six key indicators” that will determine how the state rolls back the “shutdown” orders:
Governor Newsom Outlines Six Critical Indicators the State will Consider Before Modifying the Stay-at-Home Order and Other COVID-19 Interventions
Governor unveils six key indicators that will be considered before modifying state’s stay-at-home order
SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today unveiled six key indicators that will guide California’s thinking for when and how to modify the stay-at-home and other orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Governor noted that the progress in flattening the curve, increased preparedness of our health care delivery system and the effects of other COVID-19 interventions have yielded positive results. However, these actions have also impacted the economy, poverty and overall health care in California. Any consideration of modifying the stay-at-home order must be done using a gradual, science-based and data-driven framework.
“While Californians have stepped up in a big way to flatten the curve and buy us time to prepare to fight the virus, at some point in the future we will need to modify our stay-at-home order,” said Governor Newsom. “As we contemplate reopening parts of our state, we must be guided by science and data, and we must understand that things will look different than before.”
Until we build immunity, our actions will be aligned to achieve the following:
- Ensure our ability to care for the sick within our hospitals;
- Prevent infection in people who are at high risk for severe disease;
- Build the capacity to protect the health and well-being of the public; and
- Reduce social, emotional and economic disruptions
California’s six indicators for modifying the stay-at-home order are:
- The ability to monitor and protect our communities through testing, contact tracing, isolating, and supporting those who are positive or exposed;
- The ability to prevent infection in people who are at risk for more severe COVID-19;
- The ability of the hospital and health systems to handle surges;
- The ability to develop therapeutics to meet the demand;
- The ability for businesses, schools, and child care facilities to support physical distancing; and
- The ability to determine when to reinstitute certain measures, such as the stay-at-home orders, if necessary.
The Governor said there is not a precise timeline for modifying the stay-at-home order, but that these six indicators will serve as the framework for making that decision.
He also noted that things will look different as California makes modifications. For example, restaurants will have fewer tables and classrooms will be reconfigured.
For more information on California’s response, visit covid19.ca.gov.