The governor of California on Thursday evening issued a statewide stay at home order to help combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. The order is effective Thursday night and asks residents to leave their homes only when necessary. It remains in place until further notice. … California, which has a population of around 40 million, appears to be the first state to order restrictions statewide. “We project that roughly 56 percent of our population — 25.5 million people — will be infected with the virus over an eight week period," Newsom wrote in a letter to President Donald Trump dated Wednesday.