California Governor Gavin Newsom just issued an executive order to lockdown the entire state. At this time, people are unsure of what that means.
According to the official web page California Coronavirus Response, here are the business and events that are closed or canceled:
- Dine-in restaurants
- Bars and nightclubs
- Entertainment venues
- Gyms and fitness studios
- Public events and gatherings
- Convention Centers
Businesses and services that are open:
- Gas stations
- Pharmacies
- Food: Grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores, take-out and delivery restaurants
- Banks
- Laundromats/laundry services
The order, per the Public Health official Dr. Sonia Y. Angell, went into effect March 19th and will remain in effect until further notice.
The California State Public Health Officer and Director of the California Department of Public Health is ordering all individuals living in the State of California to stay home or at their place of residence, except as needed to maintain continuity of operation of the federal critical infrastructure sectors, critical government services, schools, childcare, and construction, including housing construction.
Although Governor Newsom said, “We’re going to keep the grocery stores open. We’re going to make sure that you’re getting critical medical supplies. You can still take your kids outside, practicing common sense and social distancing. You can still walk your dog, you can still pick up food at one of our distribution centers, at a restaurant, at a drive-thru — all those things we will still be able to do.”
Some people have reported being stopped by CHP and asked where they were going. It is uncertain how and when fines will be imposed on violators of the “shelter in place” order.
Californians can expect the economic cost of the “lockdown” to be high and the effects long-lasting, perhaps some of them good, but mostly harmful.
California’s healthcare system already in distress
California’s public health care system was already under great strain caring for the homeless and immigrant populations. According to NPR in January 2020,
A range of health concerns has spread among homeless communities. A few years ago, hepatitis A, spread primarily through feces, infected more than 700 people in California, most of them homeless, according to state officials. Ancient diseases, such as typhus, have resurged. Homeless people are dying in record numbers on the streets of Los Angeles, according to data from the county coroner.
Cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles are dealing with human excrement and filth on their streets. Making those places and other cities sanitary will be an expensive task.
Tucker Carlson recently aired a segment on the unsanitary conditions in California. Watch:
