California, World's Fifth-Largest Economy, Is in Lockdown as Governor Orders Residents to Stay Home

Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom of California announced a mandatory lockdown for all Californians Thursday evening due to the coronavirus.

Newsom said that over the next eight weeks, 56 percent of Californians could come down with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. However, it was clarified that Newsom's estimation didn't take into account the efforts to slow the spread of the disease.

The order, which Newsom calls a "safer-at-home" order, is mandatory and will make the vast majority of the the state's almost 40 million residents stay self-isolated in their homes. Residents will be able to leave their homes for exercise and for essential needs.

All non-essential businesses will also close; grocery stores, pharmacies and banks, among others, will stay open. Some restaurants will also stay open, however, they will be delivery or take-out only. Before Newsom's order, a number of counties—including Los Angeles County—issued similar directives.

Newsom also said that the National Guard would help with the distribution of food, acting in a "purely humanitarian" manner. California will also partner with the social media platform NextDoor so citizens can check in with neighbors during the lockdown.

"This is a moment we need to make tough decisions," Newsom said. "We need to recognize reality."

The order comes into effect Thursday, until further notice. Violations of the order are punishable as a misdemeanor. The maximum punishment would be a fine of $1,000 or no more than six months in prison, but Newsom says he does not plan to have police enforce the order.

Newsom's move, designed to save lives and prevent a surge of patients from overwhelming the hospital system, will accelerate America's slide into recession by crushing the economy in its most populous state. If California were a sovereign state, it would be the world's fifth-largest economy behind Germany and ahead of India. California's economy is 50 percent larger than Italy's, so far the biggest economy to employ total lockdown as a strategy to contain the spread of coronavirus.

"While California has prudently built a sizable Rainy Day Fund over the past ten years, the economic effects of this emergency are certain to mean that the state and its 58 counties will struggle to maintain essential programs and services," Newsom wrote in a letter to the U.S. House and Senate Thursday, requesting $1 billion in support funds. He also warned that households could "fall into poverty" unless there's a "substantial economic intervention."

Wednesday, Newsom said that though California typically receives about 2,000 unemployment claims a day, that number has mushroomed to 80,000 requests on Tuesday alone, due to the coronavirus.

As of 6 p.m. Pacific Time, California has seen 675 confirmed cases of coronavirus, leading to 16 deaths in the state, according to the state of California. This puts California with the third-most confirmed cases in the United States, behind Washington state and New York. Washington state has 1,376 cases and 74 deaths as of 3 p.m. Pacific Time, according to the Washington Department of Health, while New York has over 5,000 cases with 24 deaths as of Thursday afternoon, according to the New York Times.

Newsweek reached out to the Governor's Office for comment.

This is a developing story and will be updated.