News Update

Governor names Tom Steyer to head new economic advisory council

To help guide the state’s plans to reopen businesses and boost the economy, Gov. Newsom announced the formation of an economic advisory council headed by Tom Steyer. The council will also include California’s four former governors Pete Wilson, Gray Davis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown.

Newsom also said that every Wednesday he will give weekly updates on the work of six task forces formed to track progress in meeting the goals he set for loosening restrictions on the stay at home order – including the ability of businesses and schools to practice social distancing.

He also noted that the state is continuing to bend and even flatten the curve of the coronavirus – with a slight decrease of 1.4 % in the number of patients in intensive care units over the last 24 hours, but an increase in hospitalizations of 1.2%. Yet, he said the state recorded a record high 95 deaths during that same period, bringing the total deaths so far statewide to 985 – very close to 1,000 – “which we never wanted to see.”