The Governor of Califonia Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency after confirming the state’s first death from convid-19 coronavirus, yesterday.
Addressing a press conference, Newsom said the proclamation of the State of Emergency “is not about money, it’s about resourcefulness.”
The patient who died was a passenger in a cruise ship returning to the state from Hawaii.
“Eleven passengers and 10 crew members on the boat were showing symptoms on Wednesday, the governor said.
“The ship will not come on shore until we appropriately assess the passengers,” Newsom
Over 9,400 people are being monitored by 49 jurisdictions, Newsom said.
The proclamation of the state of emergency is to meant to advance resources to help California prepare for a broader spread of the virus.
He also explained that the proclamation will loosen up regulatory environment, provide clarity, will also allow the state to preempt local land use. It will also help jurisdiction share information and data, advantageous to address the spread, Newsom said.
The governor said he felt confident that the state could prevent the virus from being spread by passengers of the cruise who already had returned to California.
Newsome said: “We have the resources, We have the capacity. By this evening, we will have contacted every county health official that has someone who came off this cruise. They will have their contact information and begin a process to contact those individuals.”
