Newsom warns of 'second wave,' urges California to be vigilant against COVID-19

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday warned Californians to remain vigilant against the coronavirus, cautioning things could turn for the worse again as states across the country experience an uptick in cases.

It appears California is still moving in the right direction and Newsom said the state is faring much better than other states, but he pointed to a rise in cases in the country and other parts of the world as a warning.

"This is the second wave that many had predicted based upon our closest approximate frame, and that's what occurred in 1918 and 1919," Newsom said, referring to the Spanish flu. "That was, I think, an instructive example of what can happen if we let our guard down here... the prospect of a second wave potentially being as impactful or more impactful."

"That's why we have to be very vigilant and very sober about what is going on," Newsom said.

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Newsom said the positivity rate is at its lowest since April with the seven-day average at 2.6%. Meantime, he said hospitalizations are decreasing at a slower rate.

In Southern California, Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Monday there are 674 people hospitalized, with 28% of them in the intensive care unit.

She also said health officials have received a lot of questions about when to quarantine and does attribute that to a White House outbreak in which several aides did not self-isolate after exposure.

Ferrer took the opportunity to reiterate that if someone is exposed, they should self-isolate for 14 full days regardless of a negative COVID-19 test.