SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) — In some ways, the novel coronavirus landed in California by design.
Less than two months ago, even as doctors were confirming a trickle of cases in patients who had recently traveled to the Chinese city of Wuhan, California accepted Boeing 747s full of Americans escaping the virus’ hotbed. By the time the newly repatriated wrapped up 14-day quarantines at a pair of Air Force bases in the Golden State, 200 more passengers from an infected cruise ship were headed to take their place.
The next wave came two weeks later, as another luxury liner carrying 3,500 people that had been denied entry at other ports docked in the San Francisco Bay. California was suddenly taking in Americans fleeing from across the globe, and a state of 40 million people seemed primed for a major outbreak.
But over a month after reporting the country’s first case of community spread and its first Covid-19 death, evidence is emerging that California has outperformed other states in slowing the pandemic.
Why has California had success where other smaller, less populated states haven’t?
According to doctors and lawmakers, California is benefitting from early lockdown orders given by its gutsy governor and local officials, a forward-thinking business sector and even a bit of chance and luck.
First to Lock Down
Accepting the repatriation flights and cruise ship passengers forced not just the state but local officials to confront the virus and prepare for its inevitable spread.
One week after the Grand Princess docked in Oakland, six San Francisco Bay Area counties issued a joint shelter-in-place order on March 16. The order was stricter than anything in place at the time in the nation, directing nearly 7 million people to remain at home and away from work unless they were deemed an “essential employee.”
Officials were certain the extent of the spread was larger than the 250 confirmed cases at the time and in a matter of days, Bay Area cities went radio silent.
“This is not the moment for half-measures. History will not forgive us for waiting an hour more,” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said of what seemed like a radical approach at the time.
Seeking uniformity, Governor Gavin Newsom followed three days later with the nation’s first statewide order.
“If we are to be criticized, let us be criticized for taking this moment seriously and for meeting this virus full force,” said the first-term Democrat.
Other states began to fall in line, such as New York and Louisiana which announced their orders three days later on March 22. And as the daily coronavirus reports come in, it’s becoming clearer that California’s three-day head start was significant.
Data show the disease has spread less and killed fewer people in the Golden State: As of April 9, California was reporting just 1 death per 100,000 residents, compared to 36 per 100,000 in New York and 15 per 100,000 for Louisiana. In a sign of progress, California this week freed up 500 ventilators from its inventory and sent them east to states in worse shape.
“I’m proud of our state and Gov. Newsom specifically for providing leadership on this issue,” said Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula, a Democrat and emergency room doctor.
To bolster the shelter-in-place order and boost efforts to stockpile medical equipment, Arambula and the Legislature handed Newsom chief control over a $1 billion pandemic emergency fund. Newsom has used the fund to temporarily house homeless Californians in hotels, aid struggling hospitals and businesses, and reach an agreement with Chinese manufacturers for 200 million masks per month.
The massive sum of taxpayer dollars has been well spent, Arambula contends.
“What we’ve seen them spend the money on has significantly helped us to flatten that curve,” Arambula said.