It is unrealistic to think that normal life as it was before the coronavirus crisis will be back anytime soon, California Gov. Gavin Newsom told "CBS This Morning" on Tuesday.
He empathized that although he sympathizes with the frustration of state residents who are protesting his stay-at-home orders, Newsom said he feared the worst might not be over for California if residents do not abide by social distancing and other restrictions.
“If we all pull back, we could see a second wave that makes this pale in comparison,” Newsom said, adding that although the number of those contacting the virus “are beginning to flatten, we're not seeing yet the significant decline that we need to see ultimately to toggle back.”
The governor said that “I don't anticipate that normalcy that many of us wish for happening any time soon. But we will begin to toggle back, to put a little dimmer switch up, and begin to change the way we currently are conducting ourselves from a full lockdown stay at home order to one that is more prescriptive, targeted and strategized.”
When asked what message he would give to demonstrators, Newsom said, “Stay safe. Stay healthy. Not only for yourselves, but your loved ones… And focus again on the fact that we’re all in this together."
He added that “I don't think there's anything wrong with being optimistic and hopeful. I'm optimistic. I'm hopeful. This is not the new normalcy in perpetuity. We're gonna come back… We just need to temper the enthusiasm on when and how… And once we get herd immunity and once we get a vaccine, then we could come back and flourish and thrive.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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