Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
First Step: Newsom Allows Elective Surgeries to Resume After COVID-19 Halt
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
April 22, 2020

Share

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom loosened California’a stay-at-home order on Wednesday to let hospitals resume scheduled surgeries. It’s the first step toward reopening the state — largely shut down for more than a month because of the cronavirus pandemic.

Newsom gave no date for when businesses could reopen and people could return to work, saying that would depend on the state’s ability to build a more robust testing system “that is more inclusive.” So far, California has tested more than 465,000 people, or just over 1% of the state’s nearly 40 million residents.

Many Surgeries Halted to Ensure COVID-19 Capacity

Hospitals had stopped performing elective surgeries to make beds available for an expected surge of coronavirus patients. But an expected surge hasn’t happened.

Newsom, said Wednesday the number of coronavirus hospitalizations, including those in intensive care units, declined slightly. He said the modified order allows for surgeries that are “not an emergency but if left neglected for months and months could become an emergency.” Examples include surgeries for cancers, heart valves and chronic diseases.

“That’s the first significant effort to begin modifying that stay at home order,” Newsom said.

Similar Actions Considered in Other States

He said the order does not include purely cosmetic procedures, including plastic surgeries.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

California has more than 35,900 coronavirus cases and 1,350 deaths, according to data complied by Johns Hopkins University. The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.

The news comes as other western states are considering similar actions. In Washington, Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee said Tuesday he hopes to resume elective surgeries and outdoor recreation soon. But he said he likely won’t be able to lift the state’s stay-at-home restrictions before May 4, which is when the directive was set to expire.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Fresno Unified Spends Thousands to Reprint Diplomas With Misty Her’s New Title

DON'T MISS

Another Dozen Migrants Are Transferred to Guantánamo

DON'T MISS

Former California Corrections Sergeant Indicted on Child Porn Charges

DON'T MISS

Israel Could Strike Iran as Soon as Sunday, WSJ Reports

DON'T MISS

Trump Promises Immigration Order Soon on Farm and Leisure Workers

DON'T MISS

Many Fresno Unified Schools Will Get Makeovers This Summer

DON'T MISS

Google Cloud Outage Hits Platforms Including Spotify, Discord

DON'T MISS

US House Passes Trump Cuts of $9.4 Billion for Foreign Aid, Broadcasting

DON'T MISS

Pending State Subsidence Guidelines Give Valley Water Managers a Sinking Feeling

DON'T MISS

An Anti-War Movement Is Stirring in Israel

UP NEXT

Tulare County Inmate Found Unresponsive in Cell, Autopsy Pending

UP NEXT

Gavin Newsom Changes His Tune on Running for President

UP NEXT

Mexican Flags at LA Protests Are Dividing America

UP NEXT

Trump Blocks California EV Rules in Latest Move to Rein In the State

UP NEXT

Marines Prepare for Los Angeles Deployment as Protests Spread Across US

UP NEXT

Life-Threatening Meals: Restaurants Would Identify Food Allergens for Diners Under This Proposed Law

UP NEXT

Is a Waxed Apple ‘Ultra-Processed?’ CA Bill Could Trigger a Lawsuit Barrage

UP NEXT

Bass and Other California Mayors Call for End to Immigration Raids

UP NEXT

California Is a Donor State, but Can It Stop Sending Its Tax Dollars to DC?

UP NEXT

Marines Prepare to Deploy in LA as More Protests Planned Across US

Israel Could Strike Iran as Soon as Sunday, WSJ Reports

26 minutes ago

Trump Promises Immigration Order Soon on Farm and Leisure Workers

1 hour ago

Many Fresno Unified Schools Will Get Makeovers This Summer

1 hour ago

Google Cloud Outage Hits Platforms Including Spotify, Discord

2 hours ago

US House Passes Trump Cuts of $9.4 Billion for Foreign Aid, Broadcasting

2 hours ago

Pending State Subsidence Guidelines Give Valley Water Managers a Sinking Feeling

2 hours ago

An Anti-War Movement Is Stirring in Israel

3 hours ago

David Greenwood, Former UCLA Star and NBA Champion, Dies at 68 After Cancer Battle

3 hours ago

Is the Trump-Musk Spat Really Over? Judging From Wall Street Trading, It’s a Fragile Peace

3 hours ago

Tulare County Inmate Found Unresponsive in Cell, Autopsy Pending

3 hours ago

Fresno Unified Spends Thousands to Reprint Diplomas With Misty Her’s New Title

Fresno Unified School District is spending about $8,000 to reprint diplomas, removing “interim” from Superintendent Misty Her’s title, for g...

3 minutes ago

3 minutes ago

Fresno Unified Spends Thousands to Reprint Diplomas With Misty Her’s New Title

11 minutes ago

Another Dozen Migrants Are Transferred to Guantánamo

The crest of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is seen at their headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 10, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File photo
13 minutes ago

Former California Corrections Sergeant Indicted on Child Porn Charges

The S-200 missile system is displayed during the Iranian defence week, in a street in Tehran, Iran, September 24, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo
26 minutes ago

Israel Could Strike Iran as Soon as Sunday, WSJ Reports

President Donald Trump walks away after speaking to the media upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews following a visit to North Carolina, in Maryland, U.S., June 10, 2025. (Reuters File Photo)
1 hour ago

Trump Promises Immigration Order Soon on Farm and Leisure Workers

1 hour ago

Many Fresno Unified Schools Will Get Makeovers This Summer

2 hours ago

Google Cloud Outage Hits Platforms Including Spotify, Discord

People look the U.S. Capitol on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 23, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
2 hours ago

US House Passes Trump Cuts of $9.4 Billion for Foreign Aid, Broadcasting

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend