Today, Governor Gavin Newsom held his roughly hour-long daily briefing to provide an update on the state’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. He began with an African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This set the tone for his announcement that California has partnered with Washington and Oregon to develop a shared vision “for reopening their economies and controlling COVID-19 into the future.” Notably, the agreement does not include any specifics about which parts of the economy can reopen first or when that process will start. Instead, per the Governor’s office press release, it lays out some common principles. A copy of the Governor’s press release regarding this announcement can be found here. Tomorrow, Governor Newsom said he will announce a California-specific plan with additional details. “We will be driven by facts. We will be driven by evidence. We will be driven by science,” he stressed.
On a separate note – the Governor said that the coronavirus has underscored systemic disparities, particularly when it comes to the welfare of kids. “The persistent issue of our children, particularly children in our welfare system, or ‘at risk,’ remains a vexing challenge,” he stated. To this end, he announced a $42 million effort in “building supports” for about 86,500 ‘at-risk’ kids, 59,000 in foster care. The state will also give an additional $200 for thousands of families “most at risk” so they can buy food and other necessities. Kimberley Johnson, Director of Department of Social Services, offered additional details on this effort at the briefing.
The Governor provided the latest COVID-19 hospitalization and intensive care unit (ICU) patient figures. The number of coronavirus hospitalizations is now 3,015. The number of coronavirus patients in ICU beds is 1,178, a 2.9 a percent increase from the previous day.
During the Q&A, Governor Newsom was asked about the state’s budget. In response, he said that there will be more information later this week on “the economic toll the virus has taken” and what some of the budget shortfalls could look like.
Following Friday daily briefing, the Governor’s office issued a press release outlining the steps California is taking to protect the residents and employees of the more than 1,224 skilled nursing facilities and 7,461 residential care facilities across the state. A copy of the Governor’s press release can be found here.
Also, on April 10th, he announced the release of $100 million to support child care services and to support child care providers who are stepping up to serve essential infrastructure workers and vulnerable populations and their children during this critical time. A copy of the Governor’s Press release can be found here.
Recall, last week, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) announced oversight hearings that will include an assessment of California’s COVID-19 expenditures, including the use of the emergency funds approved by the Legislature in March. The Senate Subcommittee will hold their hearing this Thursday, April 16th, at 2 PM in Room 4203 in the State Capitol. More information regarding the Senate hearing can be found here. On Friday afternoon, Assembly Speaker Rendon said that the Assembly Budget Subcommittee 6, chaired by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D- San Francisco), will meet on Monday, April 20th, at 10:00 AM in Room 4202.
Also on Friday, April 10th, the Department of Finance (DOF) sent a letter to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee that provides an interim update on how COVID-19 has affected CA’s fiscal condition. The letter noted, “Due to the scope of the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment could peak at a level higher than the Great Recession.” A copy of the letter can be found here. Additional DOF information can be found here: http://dof.ca.gov/budget/COVID-19/
Additionally, early this morning, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara ordered insurance companies to return insurance premiums to consumers and businesses and provide much-needed financial relief during the COVID-19 emergency. The Department of Insurance (DOI) news release states, “The Commissioner’s Bulletin covers premiums paid for at least the months of March and April — including the month of May if “shelter in place” restrictions continue — in at least six different insurance lines: private passenger automobile, commercial automobile, workers’ compensation, commercial multi-peril, commercial liability, medical malpractice, and any other insurance line where the risk of loss has fallen substantially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.” A copy of the Bulletin can be found here. A copy of the DOI press release can be found here.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced the most recent statistics on COVID-19 – there are a total of 21,794 confirmed positive cases and 651 deaths in California. As of April 11th, local health departments have reported 2,388 confirmed positive cases in health care workers. This includes on-the-job exposures, and other exposures, such as travel and close family contact. More information regarding the most recent COVID-19 statistics can be found here.