California, seen as a leader in US coronavirus response, faces new guidelines, budget cuts and scrutiny
- The state is reeling from sharp revenue drops and slashed budgets: within months it will go from a surplus of more than US$6 billion to a US$54 billion deficit
- Governor Gavin Newsom surprised many this week by considerably loosening the guidelines around reopening
California, the most populous US state, has been lauded for its handling of the coronavirus. Widespread moves – among the earliest in the country – to lock down the economy and keep citizens at home are credited for keeping it from seeing the devastating death tolls and overrun hospitals experienced by other densely populated areas like New York City. And, as most states rush to reopen their economies, California has emerged as a moderating voice, with Governor Gavin Newsom often saying that his state would be guided by science and not political pressure.
Today, the reality on the ground in California paints a different picture. Though its infection rate and hospital capacity still offer reason for optimism, its budget has been slashed and the government’s response to the outbreak has come under scrutiny, leaving the state’s reputation as a global leader in tackling the coronavirus on shakier ground.
On Monday, Newsom surprised many by considerably loosening the guidelines around reopening, rendering all but five of the state’s 58 counties ready to begin returning to what he has described as the “new normal.”
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Speaking during his daily coronavirus briefing, Newsom said improving trends in bringing the virus under control as well as increased testing and contact tracing were the reasons for loosening the restrictions.
Previously, counties had to show that they had only one case per 10,000 residents and that they had no Covid-19-related deaths over a two-week period. But the new regulations require fewer than 25 new cases per 100,000 residents in the past two weeks, with the requirement for no deaths in the last 14 days dropped entirely.
Under the new rules, counties will have to register no greater than a 5 per cent increase in Covid-19 hospitalisations over a seven-day period, and less than 8 per cent of residents testing positive for the coronavirus in the same time span.
As it stands, all California counties except for Sacramento and Los Angeles – the state’s most densely populated county, which remains a virus hotspot – have begun reopening following government guidelines.
