California could face a second wave of COVID-19 that makes this outbreak 'pale in comparison' if it pulls back on social distancing tactics, warns Gov. Gavin Newsom

• California Gov. Gavin Newsom warned residents that the novel coronavirus could make a second, worse resurgence if restrictions were eased too soon.
• "If we all pull back, we could see a second wave that makes this pale in comparison," he told CBS News, later adding that he did not anticipate "that normalcy that many of us wish for happening any time soon."
• Newsom's comments come as the governors of states like Georgia have decided to press ahead with reopening segments of their economies and easing some aspects of stay-at-home orders, even as the U.S. grapples to ramp up testing capacity to be able to accurately track coronavirus infections.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom warned residents that the state could face a second, worse wave of the coronavirus if the state pulls back on social distancing and shutdown efforts.

Newsom's warning comes as states like Georgia consider reopening some businesses and public spaces and President Donald Trump has signaled he would like governors to lift lockdown restrictions as soon as they determined it was appropriate to do so.

During a Tuesday appearance on CBS News, Newsom was asked if he could say that the worst was over in California.

"No, because if we all pull back, we could see a second wave that makes this pale in comparison," Newsom replied. "I can't say that. Honestly, that's determined by the act of 40 million Californians stepping in, continuing to meet this moment."

Newsom noted that "ICU numbers are beginning to flatten, but we're not seeing yet the significant decline that we need to see ultimately to toggle back. But we are committed to a process. We've socialized that process. And we are leaning in, working with 58 counties across the state to make sure that we do it together in a thoughtful and strategic way."

California has confirmed close to 36,000 cases as of Wednesday morning, according to a tracker by the Los Angeles Times, an increase of nearly 2,000 cases from the day before. So far, 1,332 people have died from the virus.

The state's fatalities also began earlier than previously known. New autopsy results revealed this week that two people died in Santa Clara County on February 6 and 17 from the coronavirus, weeks earlier than what was believed to have been the first U.S. death on Feb. 29 in Washington state.

When asked by CBS News whether Californians could expect to return to schools, baseball stadiums, and voting booths in the summer and into the fall, Newsom cautioned that none of these should be expected to return in their pre-coronavirus form.

"I don't anticipate that normalcy that many of us wish for happening any time soon," Newsom warned.

He later added, "I don't think there's anything wrong with being optimistic and hopeful. I'm optimistic. I'm hopeful."

"This is not the new normalcy in perpetuity," Newsom continued. "We're gonna come back. We just need to temper the enthusiasm on when and how."