As the state seeks to fend off an unprecedented rise in COVID-19 incidents, virtually all of California's 40 million residents were put under an overnight curfew Thursday.

The 'tiny stay-at-home order' was declared by Gov. Gavin Newsom, which forbids non-essential outings between 10 p.m. Towards 5 a.m. Beginning on Saturday, and running until Dec. 21 at least.

"The virus is circulating at a rate we haven't seen since the beginning of this pandemic, and stopping the surge will be vital for the next few days and weeks. We're sounding the alarm," said Newsom in a tweet.

"It is crucial that before the death count surges, we act to reduce transmission and slow hospitalizations."

The order affects 41 of the 58 counties of the Golden State, which have the most significant spikes in COVID-19 events. 94 percent of the nearly 40 million people protect those.

Restaurants will still be permitted to provide takeout under the curfew, and individuals will still be able to perform vital tasks such as obtaining medical treatment, picking up medications or food, and walking dogs, officials said.

It comes only days after the state placed restrictions restricting business activities in those same 41 counties, which are under California's color-coded scheme for re-opening the economy in the most extreme "purple" tier.

The step also follows Newsom being blasted during a party at a posh Napa Valley restaurant for flouting his own coronavirus protection policies, where images revealed that neither he nor the other 12 people attending wear face masks.

Newsom apologized saying that he should have modeled better behavior.