Today, Tuesday May 12th, Governor Newsom began his daily briefing by addressing the state’s success in expanding testing for COVID-19, noting the state has passed a significant milestone with more than one million tests administered so far (read more here), and pointing out more than 40,000 tests were administered daily over the past couple of days. The Governor pointed out the state has effectively passed the original goal set of 25,000 tests per day and is closing in on the ultimate goal of 60,000 tests per day or 152 tests per 100,000 residents. Governor Newsom noted the state and the federal government were woefully behind in testing just a few short weeks ago, as the state was performing only 2,000 tests per day. He reminded the audience the successful expansion of testing is in large part due to the effective work of OptumServe and Verily in making testing more widely available in rural areas throughout the state and in establishing culturally competent locations within the Black and Brown communities.
The Governor reported OptumServe has 76 of the 80 sites established and operating, and he expects the additional four sites to come online soon, as negotiations continue regarding locations. The Governor said he was pleased to announce today OptumServe has committed to opening an additional six sites, which will expand testing in more rural counties, including Lake and Mendocino. He noted there are also 241 community testing sites but also acknowledged some “testing deserts still persist” but soon mobile or “roaming” testing will begin, which will close the gap.
The Governor urged the audience to use the state’s test locator tool to find a testing location near them and obtain a test. (Find the site here). He also reminded the audience there are some “pop-up testing sites, which charge a fee or will bill insurance, but the state’s locations DO NOT charge a fee for testing regardless of your status.” Further, the Governor noted the testing milestone of one million tests performed is significant, but the state still has much work to do to hit the milestone of 60,000 tests per day. He told the audience if every site was running at full capacity and all supply chain needs were met, the state would have the capacity to perform 100,000 tests per day, but that is a hopeful number, not the goal. Governor Newsom also told the audience it is imperative any test performed should have FDA approval, which the state’s test sites provide, but not necessarily the case at pop-up locations, and once again, urged the audience to rely on the COVID-19 page (here) to locate a testing site and get updates on the state’s progress in meeting the testing goals.
Governor Newsom announced another opportunity to increase testing capacity by using the more than 6,400 pharmacies throughout the state, as the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Board of Pharmacy just completed work on requirements that allow pharmacies to begin testing for COVID-19. The Governor cautioned the audience this does not mean pharmacies are testing now, nor does it mean all pharmacies will offer COVID-19 testing. There is still work to be done here and he expects within a short period of time, many pharmacies will be able to test for the virus, just as they do for HIV, Hepatitis C, etc.
The Governor noted that by the end of the week, the first cohort will complete their online and in-person training as contact tracers, and the next cohort will begin, as the state continues to build its contact tracer workforce, which will be tasked with conducting contact tracing across the state. This will lead to more successful monitoring, isolation, and quarantine of people who test positive or have contact with someone who tests positive for the virus.
Re-opening the economy: Phase 2 and beyond – The Governor moved on to discuss next steps in California’s reopening of the economy, including dining-in restaurants, as part of Phase 2 and working though the state’s Roadmap to Recovery. Read more here. He told the audience he is announcing today additional modifications, which allow opening of offices, for people who are unable to telework (read the guidelines for office workspaces here), malls, including enclosed, outdoor and strip malls to open for pick-up only (read the retail guidelines here). In addition, outdoor museums, botanical gardens, car washes, dog grooming and dog walking may open with modifications. The Governor noted the guidelines and lists of businesses included in this announcement are located on the COVID-19 website (read more about various guidelines for industries and businesses here).
Governor Newsom clarified the announcement by noting this is all based upon a county’s ability to self-certify and attest to the director of public health and the County Board of Supervisors the capacity to test, trace, meet hospital needs and possible surge capacity, as well as their ability to provide for protection for the most vulnerable populations, including the homeless and seniors. He also reminded the audience; counties are not compelled to move forward into Phase 2 at the same rate as other counties that pursue moving deeper into Phase 2 or subsequent phases. The Governor noted each county must move at the rate their public health directors and local officials believe is safe for their residents.
The Governor noted he hoped the audience sees these changes to the modifications of the stay-at-home order as encouraging, but reminded the audience the situation is fluid, decisions by officials to move forward or back in a phase is also fluid and all of this is based on data, on science, and on the state and local community’s ability to test, trace, hospital and ICU capacity, surge capacity, etc.
Governor Newsom noted last week, he made clear the expectations required to move into Phase 2 and reminded the audience the guidelines are public and posted on the COVID-19 page, so everyone is aware of the expectations for self-certification and attestation by county officials in consultation with their County Public Health officials, Board of Supervisors and/or County Administrators to meet the posted guidelines. The Governor noted his team has been contacted by 27 counties regarding the ability to move further into Phase 2 within the state’s Roadmap to Recovery. He stated he was pleased to announce Butte County is the first county officially granted the ability to loosen restrictions on businesses, additionally, El Dorado County also received approval to loosen restrictions, including for dine-in restaurants (read the guidelines for restaurants here). He noted the collaborative work with the county health officials resulted in this movement further into Phase 2. The Governor again reminded the audience all guidelines are published on the COVID-19 page and urged the audience to monitor that page to familiarize themselves with specific guidelines for their county and to study the checklists, so they may remain healthy and avoid contracting the virus.
The Governor noted the conversations with the 27 counties are not likely to result in all counties obtaining approval to move further into Phase 2 and he acknowledged he is aware this is “a point of concern and consternation for everyone,” but it is imperative everyone understand why these requirements are in place—to protect public health. He noted just yesterday Kern County was mentioned during the media Q&A and that conditions in that county are unique and they were requesting modifications to the stay-at-home order. The Governor stated all decisions are being made based on data and science with an eye to public health. He did remind the audience, as he has many times, the process is iterative, fluid, and flexible, as he and other state officials understand there are unique characteristics in some counties, which may make it possible to loosen restrictions and with modifications, move further into Phase 2. He offered, as examples, the fact that some counties have state or federal prisons, which they do not control, so if a county such as Kern is hitting 13 out of 14 requirements in the guidelines, there is a possibility of making appropriate modifications to allow the county to loosen restrictions on businesses. He reiterated “these are all part of dynamic conversations we are having. I know there is an eagerness to move forward, I just want to assure everyone we will move as quickly as we can to adjudicate these county requests and the nuances that exist. We will be fair-minded.”
The Governor noted the team will update the COVID-19 page regularly, so people are able to read about the current state of the stay-at-home order and Phase 2 progress for every county (read more about county guidelines here), including their self-cortication, attestations, positive testing data, hospitalizations, ICU admissions and death rates—noting these are lagging data, but soon with the training of the contact tracer workforce, the state will have and post data in real time. He concluded his discussion on testing by telling the audience he hoped they view this progress as an encouraging sign for not just the health of the state but also the economy. He added, “I deeply recognize health is defined not only by taming the beast that is Coronavirus or C-19, as it is often referred to, but also addressing social determinates, of health as it pertains to the impact of poverty, as it relates to the health of families all across this state—physical as well as mental health.”
Protecting the homeless population – On that note, the Governor moved on to discuss progress with Project Room Key, which seeks to house homeless individuals and families in hotels and trailers across the state to protect them from contracting the virus. The Governor noted over the past five weeks over 15,000 rooms and 1,305 trailers statewide have been secured and more than 7,000 people and families have been moved into these rooms and trailers. He acknowledged there is still much work to do here in protecting vulnerable populations, including the homeless, but this is significant progress in meeting a commitment. He went on to express sincere appreciation to the team working with counties throughout the state to secure the hotel rooms, and also acknowledged there exist great challenges in some counties but expressed appreciation to local officials up and down the state for trying to meet this goal.
Governor’s Proclamation – Today the Governor signed a proclamation declaring May “Older Californians Month,” which is significant because the Governor specifically noted in the proclamation it is our obligation to protect seniors (read the proclamation here). He went on in his briefing to note his concern for the large population of seniors in Skilled Nursing Facilities and the importance of monitoring these facilities “as we care deeply for those people who build the middle class and this great state California, which we call home and the United States. We have a unique responsibility to protect them. So, as we are making modifications and move forward, we must be cognizant of the guidelines and practice those guidelines to protect our seniors.” The Governor cited Dr. Anthony Fauci’s testimony before the U.S. Senate this morning where he stated we cannot believe this is over or we risk a second wave of the virus.
The Governor noted, “this disease is still ubiquitous, still deadly. Let’s protect businesses and each other. Read and follow the published guidelines.” The Governor also noted that as testing becomes more widely available, people must keep in mind they are likely to require being tested more than once, because one may test negative one day and the next day be exposed to the virus and contract it.
The Governor concluded by reminding everyone the state is making progress in large part due to everyone adhering to the stay-at-home order and helping bend the virus curve downward. He wished everyone good health and to stay safe.
Q&A – The first question from Kaiser Health News dealt with the testing goal, as the reporter asked the Governor if he would expand on the timeline to hit 90,000 tests per day. The Governor responded the 90,000 is not a goal, but rather total capacity for daily testing if all conditions are perfect. He reiterated state officials have always been clear on the goal of ultimately providing 60,000 tests per day or 152 per 100,000 residents, based on the Harvard study recommendations.
Question two came from KCRA. The reporter asked about the Governor’s opinion regarding estimates that it is possible up to 50% of restaurants will not return when the restrictions are loosened, as they will be unable to bring their employees back (who make more on unemployment) and may not be able to survive based on restrictions which severely limit their seating capacity. The Governor responded by noting his extensive personal experience working in and owning several restaurants over the years. He noted the dining and restaurant business is one of the most competitive and difficult to succeed in, as many restaurants fail, even in the best of circumstances.
A Sacramento Bee reporter asked if the Governor could expand in detail what segments of the economy are open to equal 70% of the state’s economy. The Governor responded this information is available on the COVID-19 page in great detail. He noted manufacturing, construction, logistics, and other essential businesses have been operating the entire time of the crisis and more are added, as modifications are made and met.
The next question came from CalMatters. The reporter as the Governor why the state has not yet mandated testing in Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF), as other states have. The Governor replied it is a goal to get to that point and invited Dr. Ghaley to the podium to respond in greater detail. Dr. Ghaley noted they are actively working on making this a reality and expected within two weeks the state will be in a position to require testing in SNFs.
The Associated Press reporter asked the Governor what has substantially changed to allow the loosening of the stay-at-home order to move further into Phase 2. The Governor noted again this information is on the COVID-19 page and that dynamic conversations are taking place with county officials in 27 counites to see if they are able to meet the criteria to expand further into Phase 2.
Key milestones – COVID-19 Numbers – as of today (5.12.20)
- More than 2,847 deaths up by 77 or +2.9%
- 69,382 positive cases, up 2.1%
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1,033,370 tests conducted. Still averaging over 30k daily
- Latinos continue to have the highest percentage of positive cases at 51.2%, followed by Caucasians at 23.9%, Asians at 11.1%, and Blacks at 6.1%.
- Hospitalizations increased by 36 since Sunday (+1.1%) to 3,284
- The majority of hospitalizations are in LA County 1,763, followed by San Diego County at 339; Orange County 232; Riverside 186; San Bernardino 152; Alameda 78; San Francisco 63.
- ICU – 1,078, down by 15 (-1.4%)
PPE Distributed statewide to date – as of today (5.12.20)
- N-95 Respirators – 45,236,256
- Procedure masks – 32,243,191
- Gowns – 1,112,743
- Face Shields – 4,311,800
- Gloves – 15,537,555
State of the State Budget – In other news, the Senate Democratic Caucus published elements for a few proposals related to the state budget, which is projected to be more than $50 billion in the red this year, due to the COVID-19 crisis. Read more about the Caucus’ budget proposal here.
“The Caucus’ budget approach aims to keep the budget balanced over a multi-year period through pragmatic spending decisions, use of reserves and other traditional solutions, and federal support. Senate Democrats also are proposing two specific recommendations that would aid California in rebounding from the deep economic impacts of the COVID-19 health crisis. As California so often leads the way, our roadmap to a just and equitable recovery can serve as a model for the rest of the nation.”
The first proposal targets landlord and renter stabilization through a program allowing renters to pay unpaid rent over a period of 10 years without interest. For landlords, the state would offer tax credits equal to the value of their lost rents (spread equally over tax years 2024 through 2033).
The Caucus’ second proposal includes creating a $25 billion Economic Recovery Fund by establishing prepaid future tax vouchers from 2024 through 2033. “The funds could be used to create jobs and provide a myriad of services and resources, from small business and worker assistance and retraining to wildfire prevention response and schools most harmed by campus closures.”
Read some reactions to the Caucus’ budget proposals here.
The California Legislature’s Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) yesterday sent a letter to the Director of the Depart of Finance today focusing on assurances that state’s new efforts on contact tracing will not undermine privacy protections afforded to Californian, documented or undocumented. Senator Mitchell, chair of the JLBC, stress that the contract tracing surveillance program must safeguard “our right to privacy and the need for transparency.” Attached is the letter.
The May Revise of the Governor’s 2020-2021 budget will be presented this coming Thursday, May 14.