“As California’s “unprecedented” coronavirus surge worsens, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that he’s pulling “the emergency brake” and implementing the state’s most restrictive safety measures across most counties, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

“The shift into the “purple tier” for 41 of 58 counties comes as the number of daily new coronavirus cases doubled in the past 10 days in California, Newsom told reporters.

“”We are sounding the alarm,” the governor said, acknowledging the move will have a detrimental impact on businesses.

“”California is experiencing the fastest increase in cases we have seen yet — faster than what we experienced at the outset of the pandemic or even this summer,” Newsom said. “The spread of COVID-19, if left unchecked, could quickly overwhelm our health care system and lead to catastrophic outcomes.””

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