AS most of California went under a limited stay-at-home order over the weekend, the Golden State hit a daily record for new coronavirus cases at the beginning of this week, topping over 20,600 infections.
The state recorded 20,654 new positive cases on Monday, November 23, surpassing the previous record of 13,400.
To date, the state has 1,125,699 confirmed cases of COVID-19, resulting in 18,769 deaths.
On Saturday night, November 21, 41 of the state’s 58 counties began its limited curfew to curb the spread of the virus.
From 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., nonessential activities and gatherings are ordered to stop in counties in the purple tier, the most restrictive level in the state’s reopening plan. These counties include Napa, Sonoma, Sacramento, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, Fresno and Monterey. (As of this writing, the counties of San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo are in the second-most restrictive red tier.)
Meanwhile, all of Southern California’s counties from Santa Barbara to San Diego are in the purple as well.
“The virus is spreading at a pace we haven’t seen since the start of this pandemic and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge. We are sounding the alarm,” Newsom said in a statement. “It is crucial that we act to decrease transmission and slow hospitalizations before the death count surges. We’ve done it before and we must do it again.”
The state’s order will remain in effect until 5 a.m. December 21.
Earlier this month, the state issued a travel advisory, along with Oregon and Washington, urging people entering the state or returning home from travel outside the state to self-quarantine to slow the spread of the virus. The travel advisory urges against non-essential out-of-state travel, asks people to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country, and encourages residents to stay local.
