Written in March 2020
Even my wife asked if shutting down California wasn't overkill. To answer, I went to https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/health/coronavirus-data-logarithm-chart.html
This article is tracking the Wuhan cornonavirus on a linear scale and the same data on a logrithmic scale. I can't show the graph here -- not yet, anyway -- but I can on our FB page. I'll describe it. On a linear scale in both Italy and the US the number of infected people is climbing exponentially. Italy is headed toward 45,000 cases and we are near 15,000. But plotted logarithmically, the rate of increase can be seen to beginning to level off for Italy. The curve is bending. Ours is still shooting for the sky. By isolating people from each other, we can keep the number of new infections down from what they otherwise would be. This will cause the curve to start leveling off, and then -- soon, we hope -- heading down.
So, absolutely NO to the question of "overkill." It is refreshing to see elected officials doing their job and working as a team. Yes, it will result in hardship for people who must live paycheck-to-paycheck, or even day-to-day. They will need to take advantage of whatever charity is available as well as government assistance. It will also give an opportunity for people to help each other whenever possible.
There are other people who are not at a particular risk and maybe telling people to stay at home is not needed for them. Look at a demgraphic map. The bulk of California's population is near the coast. Same thing for the New England states on the east coast. Population density is high here, and the virus can spread easily In our Central Valley as well as other states without massive population centers, people live more spread-out. The population density per square mile is lower. Maybe these areas can be allowed to take "prudent" precautions stopping short of self-isolation.