California Calls on Millions of Older Adults to Stay Home Because of Coronavirus. What You Need to Know

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday advised 5.3 million seniors and those with chronic conditions at risk to stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the state, reports the Los Angeles Times . "We recognize that social isolation for millions of Californians is anxiety-inducing but we recognize what all the science bears out and . . . we need to meet this moment head-on and lean in," Newsom said. He added that senior Californians' safety is a priority and urged family members to take care around seniors and frail individuals. Persons at higher risk for infection include those over 70 years old and with underlying medical conditions like diabetes, obesity, asthma, and heart, lung, or kidney disease and those with compromised immune systems. If someone in one of these categories becomes ill, early diagnosis allows more time to treat the virus, which may require putting them on oxygen or a ventilator. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has urged seniors in areas where there is community spread of coronavirus to "stay home as much as possible and consider ways of getting food brought to your house through family, social, or commercial networks."