‘Martial law’ not needed to combat coronavirus in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom says

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is issuing “guidelines,” not edicts to implore people to minimize social exposure to limit spread of coronavirus, saying it’s not time to order Californians to do things they are already doing on their own.

On Sunday, he said he has “confidence” that people and businesses will follow his recommendation to close all bars and for all people over 65 to self-quarantine, arguing it’s not necessary for him to make the guidance an enforceable order.

“If you want to establish a framework of martial law, which is ultimate authority and enforcement, we have the capacity to do that, but we are not feeling at this moment that is a necessity,” Newsom said.

The government is trying to handle the situation without creating anxiety and fear and without triggering unintended consequences, Newsom said.

He made the remarks Sunday at a news conference, where he recommended full closure of bars, breweries and pubs and called for restaurants to reduce their occupancy by half. He also called for all people over 65 to stay in their homes, because that age group faces the greatest risk from COVID-19, the disease cased by the coronavirus spreading across the globe.

He compared Sunday’s announcement to guidance his administration issued Thursday advising that event organizers cancel nonessential gatherings of more than 250 people.

Newsom has stopped short of ordering all California schools to close, as some other governors have done, despite a call from the California Teachers Association to do so. He said he’s reluctant to dictate a “one size fits all” solution.

“About 80 to 85 percent of all of our kids are no longer going to school starting (Monday),” he said. “Many smaller districts remain open and for reasons that are perfectly understandable.”

He said closing classrooms could force hospital workers with young kids to stay home from work and leave children who rely on school meals hungry.

“When you can’t feed kids, that’s a health crisis,” Newsom said. “You’ve got to address those things.”

In state government, many state workers have been offered options for telecommuting, but Newsom has not suggested state offices shut down.

He said the state is in the process of determining which public jobs are essential, and which are not.

“You’ve already seen a large number of our state employees telecommuting,” he said.

Communities were “overwhelmingly” compliant with the guidance to cancel large events, Newsom said, and argued the recommendations he’s making will go far enough to keep the state from facing a crisis where hospitals are overburdened.

“I don’t think it’s insignificant, the announcement we’re making today in the nation’s largest state, that we are essentially home-isolating 5.3 million people... that we are shutting down bars and gatherings,” Newsom said. “These are profoundly significant steps.”

This story was originally published March 15, 2020 at 3:59 PM with the headline "‘Martial law’ not needed to combat coronavirus in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom says."