The website has been up since the weekend, but it’s been broadened with what Newsom called “playbooks” — advice and online resources for those isolated at home during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and feeling the stresses that come with that isolation.
The governor was joined in Tuesday's noontime briefing by California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, whose background is in pediatrics and mental health research. She echoed Newsom’s comments about how being confined at home — whether alone or with family — can create stresses that manifest themselves in poor physical and mental health.
The “playbooks” offer 16 different hotlines, including phone-in or text-based, for those needing advice on depression, domestic violence, and alcohol and substance abuse. One is aimed at children’s caregivers, another at taking care of oneself, and another at those seeking help with depression or other mental health issues.
Newsom also provided an update on the rate of infection in California, noting that the rising curve of new cases is flattening somewhat — but also stretching, which he said is a good thing because it gives hospitals and health-care agencies more time to deal with patients requiring treatment for the virus.
