The Governor of California late Thursday ordered Californians to stay at home starting immediately.
The order likely means businesses except those deemed “essential” need to close, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
Tonight we are hearing of a few large California-based companies in our space shutting down everything, including distribution centers. Others believe there is enough wiggle room and exemptions in the rules that they will be able to keep distribution centers open.
Essential businesses according to the State of California website include grocery stores, farmer’s markets, banks, convenience stores, takeout and delivery restaurants, laundromats and laundry services.
Governor Gavin Newsom said the order will last until further notice.
If the state doesn’t slow the spread of the virus, projections show more than half of California residents will be infected within eight weeks, he said. Infection rates are doubling every four days in some parts of the state.
Residents can leave their homes to get food, care for an elderly relative, get health care, or go to an essential job.
Several industry executives we have talked to this week said it was only a matter of time before a lockdown order went into effect. They believe taking that action sooner rather than later can be beneficial if it helps the crisis pass more rapidly. Many expect the entire country to be under a similar stay-at-home order soon.
“It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” several industry leaders told us.
This crisis is taking a huge economic toll on everybody and every industry. We’ll have a story soon that details what our industry brands are going through and how industry executives are grappling with the rapidly changing environment.
