California Residents Demand Delay in Reopening Shell-Shocked State
A Twitter campaign to end the shelter-in-place measures in California as a result of the coronavirus pandemic is facing backlash.
As California nears 50,000 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 diseases, concerned residents are taking to social media to resist calls for re-opening the state. | Source REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
- Californians have forcefully come out against reopening the Golden State until the coronavirus pandemic has been crushed.
- Officials in some Northern California counties want Governor Gavin Newsom to end the stay-at-home orders.
- Elon Musk seemingly joins the camp demanding a rapid reopening of California.
Healthcare workers, residents, and notable personalities in California are urging the Golden State to delay its reopening.
This follows protests and social media campaigns against the shelter-in-place measures taken to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
Experts weigh in on reopening California
Face lined with sore marks from wearing protective gear, one doctor noted the suffering healthcare workers are going through on the frontlines of fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
She subtly urged everyone not to add to their misery:
It is not easy to see pts [patients] suffer & die in front of your eyes regardless of age! It is not easy to put my own life in danger & take care of #COVID19 pts! It is not easy to wear #PPE & take care of sick patients!
Other healthcare professionals echoed the call to further delay relaxing the shelter-in-place measures.
Regular California residents were not left out either. Some argued that before the reopening of the state’s economy, the coronavirus death and infection rates needed to have declined significantly.
The #DoNotOpenCalifornia campaign had been preceded by calls to reopen the state on social media. Actress, comic, and California resident Kathy Griffin railed against the #opencalifornianow arguing that it was driven by bots.
California Governor’s phased approach
On Tuesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom had outlined plans to reopen the state in phases. Lower risk workplaces would precede higher risk workplaces in reopening, according to Newsom’s plan.
California is currently the fifth most affected state by the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. It has over 46,000 COVID-19 cases and nearly 1,900 deaths.
Not all Californians are against the reopening of the Golden State, though.
Elon Musk can’t wait to open Fremont plant
Though he didn’t specifically mention California, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted “FREE AMERICA NOW” as #DoNotOpenCalifornia was trending.
Tesla had been planning to restart some operations at its Fremont facility, located in Alameda County, this week. However, county authorities postponed relaxing the shelter-in-place orders from early May to late May.
This forced Tesla to email employees informing them earlier plans to return to work on April 29th had been cancelled.
Calls to reopen the economy even came from outside the state. Conservative podcaster and New Yorker, Joey Saladino, called for the reopening of California. He argued that the state had witnessed comparably fewer deaths in the U.S.
Officials from counties and small cities in Northern California have urged Newsom to allow them to reopen their economies.
There have also been scattered protests in the state calling for its reopening. Several anti-lockdown marches are planned across California on May 1st.