State to provide 2 weeks of additional paid sick leave for essential food service workers

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday that he has signed an executive order to provide food chain workers across California with two weeks of supplemental paid sick leave.

The order will help benefit workers who have contracted COVID-19, been exposed to someone who has tested positive or has been ordered to isolate or self-quarantine.

"We don't want you to get sick," Newsom said during his daily news conference. He said the order will benefit workers in grocery, food delivery services, larger fast food chains and agricultural workers, among others.

Newsom said that California had a total of 26,182 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 and that the state’s death toll had risen to 890 total with 69 new deaths reported.

Newsroom said 3,141 people are hospitalized, with 1,191 in intensive care, representing a 1.4% increase in the last 24 hours.