California is recommending the cancellation of gatherings of 250 or more people to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the advisory, which does not carry the force of law, Wednesday night as the state’s confirmed-case count rose to 177. “Changing our actions for a short period of time will save the life of one or more people you know,” Newsom said in a statement. “That’s the choice before us. Each of us has extraordinary power to slow the spread of this disease. Not holding that concert or community event can have cascading effects—saving dozens of lives and preserving critical health-care resources that your family may need a month from now. The people in our lives who are most at risk—seniors and those with underlying health conditions—are depending on all of us to make the right choice.” Community meetings, sports events, and school theater performances will all be affected by the new guidelines, which broadly mirror requirements that have been adopted locally in many counties across California already.