Gov. Newsom calls for California seniors to self-isolate, closure of bars

Gov. Newsom announced new guidelines on Sunday to slow the rate of the Coronavirus infection in the state.

Newsom is calling for everyone in California 65 years or older to self-isolate in their homes. He said this affects about 5.3 million Californians.
Anyone with a chronic condition is also asked to self-isolate.

“We recognize that social isolation for millions of Californians is anxiety-inducing, but we recognize what all the signs bear out and we recognize around the rest of the world that we need to meet this moment head-on and lean in, not isolate ourselves to this moment, but lean in and take actions that we think are commensurate,” said Newsom.

Newsom also issued new guidelines calling for the closure of bars, wineries and pubs. While this is not an order, Gov. Newsom said he expects his requests about these restrictions to be followed.

Restaurants are asked to reduce their capacity by half to keep people away from each other.

The announcement was made during a news conference Sunday afternoon. It came just after a similar announcement was made in Illinois and Ohio.

The state is also prohibiting visits to nursing homes.

Newsom said 51 percent of all school districts in the state have already shut down. He said about 80 to 85 percent of students in California will not go to school on Monday.

The number of coronavirus cases in California has increased to 335, a 14% increase from just the day before, Newsom said.

Newsom said there have been six deaths from the coronavirus in the state.

As of 2:30 p.m. Sunday, there have been more than 3,200 confirmed cases in the United States and at least 62 deaths.