As more people around the country test positive for the coronavirus, California is getting more coronavirus test kits.
Governor Gavin Newsom is reassuring people that there’s no need to panic but residents 60 or older, or with pre-existing health issues, should prepare.
Medical staff at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland has a plan in place if a person walks into their emergency room with symptoms of the coronavirus.
Staff have already cleared an entire floor for coronavirus patients. Governor Newsom said he’s anticipating more people will test positive for the virus.
“Everybody has to wash their hands,” he said.
It’s a lesson every child and adult needs to put in practice, as more and more people in California continue to test positive for the coronavirus.
“There’s no reason to panic but there’s every reason to prepare,” Newsom said.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Before the governor visited Manzanita Community Elementary School in Oakland to stump for school bond Prop 13 – he was on an hour-long conference call with Vice President Pence, now leading the federal government’s response to the outbreak.
Newsom said California is getting more coronavirus test kits. By the end of the week, 13 labs in the state, up from 8, will be able to analyze those test samples quickly.
“The more you test, the more positives will come back from those tests and we’re anticipating that,” said Newsom.
Newsom said older adults with pre-existing conditions should be taking precautions, adding California is anticipating extreme events like the deadly cluster in Washington state that’s killed at least six people.
“Assisting living facilities and the like, that’s where we have to be most vigilant,” the governor said.
Doctors at Kaiser Permanente In Oakland have been preparing for months, in case coronavirus patients need to be treated and isolated in rooms with separate ventilation systems.
A spokesperson for Kaiser Permanente said employees and physicians are also screening patients about recent travel to affected areas, to help anticipate risks.
Just within the past hour, the governor is asking legislators to free up $20 million in emergency funding to help fight the spread of the coronavirus.
