Samantha Young, California Healthline’s California politics correspondent, helped moderate a discussion hosted by the Sacramento Press Club about California’s response to the coronavirus crisis. The discussion touched on the reopening of the economy, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order requiring Californians to wear face coverings and whether hospitals are ready to handle a surge in cases as infections continue to rise statewide.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading public health voice on the COVID-19 pandemic, kicked off the event, with praise for the state’s approach. He urged Californians to keep social-distancing and wear their masks. His comments were later echoed in a panel discussion that included Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County’s public health director, who was one of the drivers behind the nation’s first stay-at-home order; Dr. Sarah Medeiros, an emergency medicine physician at UC Davis Health; and state Assembly member Jim Wood, a Democrat who chairs the Assembly Health Committee.

This story was produced by KFF Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.