Yahoo TV

"I'm not worried about the latest tweets and I can give you ad nauseum examples of why I've concluded that that's not the issue we need to address. What we need to address is safely reopening schools and we need to make that a foundational principle. That to me is non-negotiable," Newsom said at his daily briefing in Sacramento.

States are responsible for primary and secondary education under the U.S. Constitution, but the federal government provides some supplementary aid.

Newsom did not provide a specific date for reopening schools but said that the decision would be guided by data and based on local conditions.

Coronavirus cases have risen in 42 of the 50 states, based on a Reuters analysis of data for the past two weeks compared to the previous two-week period, and a higher percentage of people tested positive for the virus in the past week.

In California, hospitalization rates had risen 44% in the past two weeks, with admissions into intensive care units (ICUs) rising by 34%, Newsom said.

Newsom added that it wasn't just the group he referred to as the young and invincibles sparking the rise in rates, but essential workers as well.