In Letter to Trump, California Governor Projects 56% of State Residents to be Infected by Coronavirus

As positive tests for the Coronavirus go up daily throughout the nation, California is one of the hardest-hit states with Los Angeles reporting over 200 cases now.

Locations of #COVID19 cases in LA County as of 3/19.

**Please do not assume that one location is safer than another. Cases are occurring across LA County, so please stay home whenever possible and practice social distancing if you must go out.** #StaySafeStayHome pic.twitter.com/rU6TTYLulX

— Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) March 19, 2020

To deal with the situation, Governor Gavin Newsom wrote a letter to President Trump dated yesterday asking him to deploy the USNS Mercy Hospital Ship to be stationed at the Port of Los Angeles through September 1st, 2020.

In the letter, he describes how California has been disproportionately affected by repatriation efforts over the last few months. Oakland, California took in Canadian citizens from a cruise ship last month after an outbreak aboard.

Further down in the letter he says that in some parts of the state, the case rate is doubling every four days. We project that roughly 56 percent of our population – 25.5 million people – will be infected by the virus over an 8 week period.

He ends the letter by thanking the President for his partnership and looks forward to their continued discussion. Californians reacted on Twitter by sharing gifs of disbelief.

What do you mean 56% of Californians are gonna have covid within weeks? pic.twitter.com/HLjmqpHwux

— joyce ⁷ ?? (@jiminxparadise) March 19, 2020

HOLD UP THE GOVERNOR SAID 56% OF CALIFORNIANS WILL BE INFECTED? I- pic.twitter.com/KSdbzN4By1

— ana fonuaa ? (@anasayknee) March 19, 2020

56% of californias r gonna be infected my miss rona and i live in california goodbye pic.twitter.com/66P5lTdrBY

— alexa ? (@alexaaparas) March 19, 2020