Newsom: CA COVID-19 Spike Could Hold Counties Back From Reopening

CALIFORNIA — Just as the United States surpassed 10 million coronavirus cases Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom also announced that the Golden State was seeing "sobering" numbers.

California recorded 7,212 cases Monday, the largest spike in new daily cases since late summer. The state also reported a new 14-day 3.7 percent positivity rate, up from 2.5 percent in less than a month.

Newsom warned that while these numbers look relatively okay compared to other states, the upward trajectory of new cases would likely negatively impact counties hoping to further reopen.

Dr. Mark Ghaly, California's health secretary, normally gives an update every Tuesday announcing which counties have moved up or down on the state's COVID-19 risk assessing tier system.

"Anticipate that we'll see some counties moving backwards, not forward and this is exactly why we designed the tier status the way we did, it was about more and less restrictive, not based upon political whim but based upon the data...and local conditions in the 58 counties," Newsom said Monday.

As of Monday there were 10 counties in the purple or widespread tier, 20 counties in the red or substantial tier, 19 counties in the orange or moderate tier and 9 counties in the last tier, yellow or minimal.

Newsom also expressed concern about the possibility of the Affordable Care Act's dismantling and what it could do to Californians who rely on it for insurance.

On Tuesday, a more conservative Supreme Court will hear oral arguments to strike down the Affordable Care Act, which Newsom says would impact millions of Californians.

The case was brought by Republican officials and backed by president Trump's administration.

"The current administration in Washington DC is advocating that the Affordable Care Act be struck down," Newsom said. "As a consequence we in California are vulnerable...6.1 million with pre-existing conditions could directly be impacted by that Supreme Court decision."

Without the ACA, Newsom said the state would lose $27 billion in federal funding for 3.5 million Californians in the Midi-Cal expansion and premium assistance for 1.3 million Californians in Covered California.

Currently there are 1.5 million enrolled in Covered California.

When asked about vice-president elect Kamala Harris' senate seat, Newsom said Monday there was no timeline for when an appointment would be made, noting it was still to early in the process. But he said his office is already working through the "cattle call of considerations" relating to making the selection and determining the process of making the decision.

Thirty-five percent predicted Newsom would tap Padilla for Harris' seat, followed by Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, at 16.9 percent. Another 14.8 percent anticipated the seat would go to Attorney General Xavier Becerra. Reps. Karen Bass and Adam Schiff were also mentioned as possible choices, along with Garcetti.

Newsom said he wants to "make sure it's inclusive, want to make sure we are considerate of people's points of view." But he said his "weekend was not focused on that," but on the rising number of COVID-19 cases across the state.

The City News Service contributed to this report.