Gavin Newsom weighs a statewide curfew as most of California returns to toughest COVID-19 tier

Citing a dramatic rise in COVID-19 cases, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday announced that most of the state will revert back to the most restrictive tier, even as he considers more stringent measures like curfews.

“We are sounding the alarm,” Newsom said in a statement released Monday. “California is experiencing the fastest increase in cases we have seen yet – faster than what we experienced at the outset of the pandemic or even this summer. The spread of COVID-19, if left unchecked, could quickly overwhelm our health care system and lead to catastrophic outcomes.”

Forty-one counties are now in the purple tier, with Newsom calling it an “emergency brake” to address the growing number of cases.

Over a seven-day period beginning Nov. 1, the state saw a 51.3% increase in cases, the Democratic governor said.

“This is simply the fastest increase California has seen since the beginning of this pandemic,” Newsom at his Monday press conference.

As a result of the emergency brake, counties must now revert to stricter tier statuses after one week, rather than two weeks, and counties may now slide back more than one tier at once, Newsom said.

“Every age group, every demographic, racial, ethnic, in every part of the state we are seeing case rates increase and positivity rates increase as well,” Newsom said.

California Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly in a statement said that the data shows that California is in the midst of a surge and that time is of the essence.

“Every day matters and every decision matters,” Ghaly said. “Personal decisions are critical, and I am imploring every Californian to stay home if they can, wear a mask whenever they leave their homes, limit mixing, practice physical distancing and wash their hands.”

The governor added that he is considering the possibility of instituting a statewide curfew. He said he is currently reviewing studies from other countries, as well as reviewing other states that have implemented curfews, including Massachusetts and Virginia.

“All of that is being assessed,” he said.

The new restrictions come amid signs that the economic recovery following the March shutdown orders is losing steam. Economist Sung Won Sohn said the economy could take another turn for the worst.

“The probability of a double-dip recession rises as we face more restrictive measures,” said Sohn, a professor at Loyola Marymount University. “Until the vaccine comes out, the economy is not doing very well, especially because the federal stimulus has lapsed.

“The situation does not look very good,” he said.

California’s unemployment rate soared to 16.4% in the early weeks of the pandemic and has now fallen to 11%. Less than 40% of the jobs that disappeared in the spring have been recovered. Now, with tougher restrictions coming at the start of the holiday shopping season, the economy could regress.

“It certainly puts a damper on sales,” said economist Jeff Michael of the University of the Pacific. “The recovery is stalling out through the winter .... The next couple of months are going to be very difficult.”

The restrictions mean, for instance, an end to indoor dining. Shopping malls can only operate at 25% occupancy. With winter weather coming, “the outdoor dining is pretty much constrained and not all that desirable,” Michael said.

This story was originally published November 16, 2020 at 1:45 PM with the headline "Gavin Newsom weighs a statewide curfew as most of California returns to toughest COVID-19 tier."