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| More than 1m Californians have filed for unemployment amid coronavirus crisis | More than 1m Californians have filed for unemployment amid coronavirus crisis |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| State has asked residents to stay home unless absolutely necessary as Covid-19 cases grow | State has asked residents to stay home unless absolutely necessary as Covid-19 cases grow |
| More than a million Californians have filed for unemployment this month due to the coronavirus crisis, the state’s governor announced. | More than a million Californians have filed for unemployment this month due to the coronavirus crisis, the state’s governor announced. |
| “We just passed the 1 million mark for the number of claims since 13 March,” the California governor, Gavin Newsom, said at a press conference on Wednesday about the unemployment claims. | “We just passed the 1 million mark for the number of claims since 13 March,” the California governor, Gavin Newsom, said at a press conference on Wednesday about the unemployment claims. |
| The uptick in new unemployment claims is unprecedented. On a typical day, the California department of unemployment sees 2,000 new claims. Last week Wednesday, 80,000 new claims were filed. | |
| Unemployment departments, which are run by each state individual, are being overwhelmed with a surge in new claims since the nation’s businesses began closing their doors, sending home or laying off legions of workers across industries. | |
| At Tuesday press conference, Newsom urged patience as unemployed workers reach out to file claims. California’s unemployment department says people can typically receive unemployment benefits – a portion of typical income - in a couple weeks. | |
| But information about why someone left work, and whether it was due to the coronavirus, must be verified with employers and doctors. With businesses shut, and doctors overwhelmed, that process could be delayed significantly. | |
| A $2 trillion stimulus package headed toward for the finish line could provide additional assistance when it kicks in, adding $600 a week to benefits across the board. And it would cover workers considered independent contract workers, like ride-share drivers, who aren’t covered by traditional unemployment. | |
| Newsom last week announced an order that asks California residents to stay home unless absolutely necessary, amid growing rates of corona infections. The order says broadly that people should remain at home unless it’s absolutely necessary to venture out for supplies or food. | |
| Essential businesses, including grocery stores and box stores like target, have been allowed to operate, while all businesses considered non-essential were mandated to close. The rules have been confusing for workers in some industries. While construction workers are allowed to carry on with residential projects, those working on commercial projects are off the clock. | |
| Last week, Newsom signed an executive order that asked cities and counties to enact eviction bans to keep people from getting displaced. But with the order set to expire April, housing advocates have been left to wonder how rent will be paid after that. Newsom said he and a team were reviewing the legality of potential solutions. | |
| Newsom said Tuesday he’s spoken with CEOS from 200 financial institutions who committed to a 90-day waiver on mortgages and foreclosures. Bank of America only agreed to a 30 day waiver. | |
| There have been 2,535 confirmed cases of coronavirus in California. More than 50 people have died, including a young person in Los Angeles who is believed to be the first minor killed by the coronavirus. | |
| “It underscores the enormity of the challenge in front of us and how it can impact anybody,” Newsom said about the teenager’s death. Half of all positive cases in California fell in the 18-to-49 age range, Newsom said in a news conference Tuesday evening. “Young people can and will be impacted by this virus,”. | |
| On Wednesday, Newsom added that 37 of confirmed coronavirus cases are children under the age of 18. | |
| The governor said an investigation is underway to determine the cause of death and urged caution about hastening to make assumptions about the case. | |
| Eyeing New York, the nation’s new coronavirus epicenter and home to about 60 percent of the US cases, California leaders are scrambling to prepare for sudden surge on hospitals that could overwhelm health care workers and available bed space. | |
| The state needs 50,000 hospital beds to prepare for a coming demand, Newsom said Tuesday, a projection he’s adjusted upwardly over the past week. Two additional hospitals, 8 field hospitals and a navy hospital ship to be docked in Los Angeles will add to the state’s existing portfolio of options. | |
| Newsom said the state has seen a significant rise in the number of coronavirus tests administered – from 39,200 reported on Tuesday to 66,800 on Wednesday. The governor attributed the huge jump to tests conducted by private labs like Quest Diagnostics whose tests weren’t previously reflected in the total. | |
| Newsom implored state residents to keep a safe distance from those who don’t live in the same house and to adhere, completely, to the stay-at-home orders to prevent further spread of the virus. | |
| “Half way is no way,” said Newsom. | |
| This is a developing story. More details to follow… | This is a developing story. More details to follow… |