Gov. Gavin Newsom orders all Californians to stay at home

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday directed 40 million California residents to stay home except for essential needs in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus. 

The move followed similar actions by the Bay Area and Sacramento, which had already taken similar measures. Newsom said that retail shops and indoor malls will be shuttered in addition to corporate offices, per The New York Times. 

Essential businesses, including banks, grocery stores, pharmacies, laundromats and select other businesses will be exempted from the closures. In addition, healthcare workers and municipal workers will still be on the job. 

California residents can still leave their homes for outdoor exercise and to visit the market, per the order. 

“This is not a permanent state, this is a moment in time,” Newsome said. “We will look back at these decisions as pivotal.”

LA County also held its own news conference on Thursday to enforce its own stay-at-home decree called “safer at home.” Mayor Eric Garcetti said he hopes that citizens will self regulate and there will be little need for enforcement.