California extends lockdown as coronavirus surge shows no sign of slowing down

California goes back into lockdown

Credit: Bing Guan/Reuters

Most of California went back into lockdown  on Sunday with more than 30 million people told to stay at home as the surge in coronavirus infections showed no sign of abating.

The stay at home orders issued by the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, came as the number of cases in the US topped 14.5 million, with 281,000 people having died. 

Coronavirus is now the leading cause of death in the US, topping cancer and heart disease, according to research carried out by The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine.

California’s curbs will see bars shut down, indoor restaurant dining banned, and shops limited to only 20 per cent of their capacity. 

Museums, playgrounds, hairdressers and beauty parlours have been ordered to close and nearly 33 million Californians — about 84 per cent of the state’s population —  have been instructed to wear masks and not to mix with people from outside their household.

Coronavirus USA Spotlight Chart — cases default

The restrictions,  which are are the strictest since the start of the pandemic, will remain in force for at least three weeks.

They were imposed by Mr Newsom as California reported 25,000 new cases on Saturday, setting a new record for the fourth day in succession.

He has divided the state into five regions with the new curbs being triggered when intensive care bed availability drops to below 15 per cent.

Two of the five regions — Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley  — hit the threshold. In the San Francisco Bay area officials decided to fall into line, even though not yet required to do so.

Coronavirus USA Spotlight Chart — deaths default

“We are at a point where surging cases and hospitalizations are not letting up,” said Dr Salvador Sandoval, a public health officer for the San Joaquin Valley city of Merced.

 “I can’t emphasize this enough — everyone must take personal steps to protect themselves and protect others.”

Other states have reimposed restrictions in recent weeks. Idaho scaled back its re-opening plans, banning gatherings of more than 10 people, while Illinois banned indoor restaurant dining and said everyone above the age of two must wear a mask in an indoor public space or anywhere it was impossible to maintain social distancing.

Kentucky has banned indoor gatherings of more than eight people — drawn from a maximum of two household — while Michigan’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer, is expected to extend the state’s ban on indoor dining.

Despite the soaring death toll and fears that the US health system is in danger of being overwhelmed by the pandemic, resistance to the curbs remains.

In California, a conservative religious group calling itself the "Freedom Angels Foundation" staged a protest in Santa Clara, about 50 miles south of San Francisco, with one demonstrator saying she would rather be shot in the head than take the vaccine.

Meanwhile, a Michigan pastor shared a sermon on Facebook in which he played down the threat posed by the pandemic.

"COVID, it’s all good. Several people have had COVID, none have died yet,” Bart Spencer said after he started coughing. “It’s OK. Get it, get it over with, press on."