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 is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.