Governor Gavin Newsom announced the new website, californiansforall.ca.gov today during his daily coronavirus press briefing.
He encouraged every Californian who is able to sign up and make a difference. Once information is provided, individuals will receive weekly emails with information on both state and local volunteer opportunities with organizations such as Red Cross, United Ways, California Food Banks Association and more.
If leaving the house is not an option, people can make a difference from indoors as well by sewing masks, making hygiene kits, or calling neighbors and loved ones to make sure they are doing okay.
Newsom announced that yesterday, in the state of California, there was a 7.4% increase of positive cases, a 5% increase in deaths, a 3.8% increase in ICU patients and a 3.3% increase in hospitalizations. There are over 8,685 licensed facilities that are being monitored with over 300,000 patient capacity. He also reminded everyone the most vulnerable individuals are seniors and homeless individuals.
Another large group at risk for contacting COVID-19 is the caretakers, leading many people to sleep in their cars or garages so they do not infect their family.
Newsom explained, as, “A way of just expressing appreciation, deep admiration and respect for those caregivers throughout our senior system and also let you know we are doing everything in our power to make this our top priority and top focus,” there have been over 2,634 no cost hotel rooms made available for caregivers.
Aside from hotel rooms, Facebook donated $25 million to go toward a program providing $500 stipends for certified nursing assistants and licensed vocational nurses working in a skilled nursing setting. So far, over 44,000 individuals have signed up for the stipend.
Although many numbers increased yesterday Newsom circled back to volunteering expressing that we are making progress and as a community, we are all in this together.
While encouraging people to volunteer Newsom stated, “No one stands taller than when he or she bends down on one knee to help lift other people up.” He also added, “The happiest people I know are people who volunteer”.
Tomorrow, he will discuss his 6 prong plan and lay out guidelines for loosening stay at home orders, however he is cautioning those who want to lift the orders too quickly. As numbers continued to increase with 1,268 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 he thinks he will need to “dial that [lifting quarantine orders] back” including local levels around California.
Last week Newsom said he wanted to see two weeks of numbers declining before easing stay-at-home orders, but since the announcement was made the numbers have continued to rise aside from a few rare days with numbers going down.
He thanked legislation for providing him with the emergency authority and the utilization of a disaster emergency recovery fund which was supported in last years fiscal budget and has been used for efforts to combat the coronavirus.