Gov. Gavin Newsom warns more than half of all Californians could become infected with coronavirus

Gavin Newsom.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

In a letter to President Trump, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) gave a stark warning: Over an eight-week period, 25.5 million Californians — more than half of all residents — could become infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus.

As of Thursday evening, 958 Californians have tested positive for the virus, and 19 have died. In preparation for an influx of hospital patients, Newsom also asked Trump to deploy the USNS Mercy hospital ship to the port of Los Angeles through Sept. 1.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.