California imposes stay-at-home order amid COVID-19 surge

California [US], November 20 : The US state of California on Thursday imposed stay-at-home order as coronavirus cases in the state rise.
The order issued by the California Department of Public Health will prohibit most nonessential activity outside the home from 10 pm to 5 am in counties in the strictest tier of the state's reopening roadmap -- the purple tier, The Hill reported.
The restriction goes into place on Saturday and lasts through December 21, though it could be extended.
"The virus is spreading at a pace we haven't seen since the start of this pandemic and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge. We are sounding the alarm," California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement released Thursday afternoon.
"It is crucial that we act to decrease transmission and slow hospitalizations before the death count surges. We've done it before and we must do it again," he said.
The state has reported more than 10,000 new daily cases four times since last Thursday. California has 1,059,267 confirmed cases of COVID-19, resulting in 18,466 deaths.