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California Gov. Gavin Newsom provided an update on the state's progress to reach a point where the shelter-in-place order can be relaxed and the economy and society can be reopened under new social-distancing guidelines.

Newsom said great strides are being made, but he still can't offer a timeline. "I wish I could prescribe a specific date to say when we can turn on the light switch to return to normalcy," Newsom said. "We’ve tried to make it crystal clear there is no light switch. There is no date."

That said, Newsom announced one modification to the current shelter-in-place order and said "scheduled surgeries," not "cosmetic surgeries," are now allowed again. Examples include the removal of tumors or a heart valve procedure that isn't an emergency but if neglected could become a problem.

"These are surgeries that are scheduled but also essential," he said. "The surgeries where if it gets delayed it becomes acute."

Newsom reiterated the state is monitoring six indicators to guide its decision to modify the stay-at-home order. Those include increased testing and contact tracing; systems for protecting the most vulnerable populations such as seniors; ensuring hospitals are equipped to handle a patient surge; engaging research partners to develop therapeutics; and issuing new social distancing guidelines for businesses, schools and childcare facilities.

The governor said the first indicator, establishing widespread equitable testing and contact tracing, is foundational in safely modifying the order and the capacity to test will "give us the green lights in our decisions."

In March, 2,000 tests a day on average were conducted in the state. Today, Newsom said the state is at 16,000 tests a day and by the end of April he hopes the state will be at 25,000 a day.

"Our goal is north of 60,000 a day," he said. "We want to have a minimum of 60,000 to 80,000 tests a day."

He added, "We want to blow past that goal."

Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, noted that at least 35,000 tests a day will be needed to support a robust contact-tracing program that tests people who have been exposed to infected patients. Healthcare facilities will need access to at least 25,000 tests a day and he said that number goes up during certain times of the year.

"We need increased capacity when cold and flu are more prevalent and we need to answer the question of whether someone has a cold, the flu or COVID," Ghaly said.

There are 251 sites that are the backbone of the state's testing, and in a survey of these, 55% said the top need is swabs.

The state is working to secure more swabs, and Newsom said he had a "pointed and honest" phone conversation with President Donald Trump Wednesday morning. He said Trump promised a minimum of 100,000 swabs this week. Trump committed to 250,000 swabs next week.

"That was a very good phone call," he said. "I want to thank the president for not only being available for the phone call but for committing to an increase in the swabs."

Addressing the need for equitable testing, Newsom announced 86 new testing sites in "testing deserts" such as rural communities with less access. Newsom said he's committed to testing all Californians. "I don’t mean testing all 40 million of us, though that would be great," he said. "But all parts of the state where we’re not leaving any communities behind."

California has been under a mandatory stay-at-home order since March 19. But the virus has been disrupting the state since January, when people from all over the world were first sent to quarantine at California military bases.

Santa Clara County officials learned this week through autopsy reports that an individual died of COVID-19 at home on Feb. 6 and and another on Feb. 17. Before this, the first U.S. death from the virus had been reported on Feb. 29 in Kirkland, Wash.

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