California Mandates Statewide Stay-At-Home Order to Combat COVID-19
California Governor Gavin Newsom issues a mandatory statewide shelter-in-place order requiring residents to stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Essential businesses like grocery stores and pharmacies remain open, while dine-in restaurants and entertainment venues close indefinitely.
California Governor Gavin Newsom issues a mandatory statewide order requiring all residents to stay home or at their place of residence to slow the spread of COVID-19. This directive expands upon an earlier regional shelter-in-place mandate that covered six Bay Area counties, including San Francisco. The statewide order remains in effect until further notice as officials attempt to flatten the curve of infections.
While residents stay indoors, essential businesses continue to operate normally to ensure public needs are met. These open businesses include gas stations, pharmacies, grocery stores, food banks, farmers markets, banks, and restaurants that offer takeout or delivery options. Workers employed in these critical sectors still commute to their jobs despite the broad restrictions on general movement.
The strict mandate forces non-essential businesses to close their doors indefinitely. Dine-in restaurants, nightclubs, gyms, fitness studios, convention centers, and entertainment venues shut down completely under the new rules. Governor Newsom warns that roughly 56 percent of the state's population is likely to contract the virus without these aggressive intervention measures.