California rolls back reopening, steps up enforcement as coronavirus
surges
Send a link to a friend
[July 02, 2020]
By Sharon Bernstein
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California
dramatically rolled back efforts to reopen its economy on Wednesday,
banning indoor restaurant dining in much of the state, closing bars and
stepping up enforcement of social distancing and other measures as
COVID-19 infections surge.
Indoor activities at restaurants, movie theaters, museums and other
facilities will be banned in 19 counties where 70% of the population
lives for at least three weeks, Governor Gavin Newsom said.
"Do your best not to mix with strangers, not to mingle with people
outside your household," Newsom said at a press briefing.
With more Californians hospitalized and requiring intensive care than at
any prior point in the pandemic, the state also moved late Wednesday to
re-activate four non-hospital sites where about 300 additional patients
can be treated.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2020/Jul/02/images/ads/current/heartland_discover_lda_April_2020.png)
California's actions comes as anxiety over the coronavirus pandemic is
rising among Americans along with an alarming acceleration of new
COVID-19 cases. A Reuters/Ipsos poll Wednesday showed concern about the
pandemic reaching its highest level in more than a month.
Arizona, Texas and other states are also seeing a spike in cases and
hospitalizations from COVID-19, and the U.S. death toll now stands at
nearly 128,000.
Under Newsom's order, all bars and brew pubs, whether indoor or out,
must also close in affected counties, which include heavily populated
Los Angeles and Orange counties, as well as the state capital
Sacramento.
Parts of the San Francisco Bay Area are included in the rollback, but
the city itself was already operating under stricter regulations that
banned indoor restaurant dining and similar activities.
The state is setting up strike forces to step up enforcement of the
rules, made up of regulatory agencies and the California Highway Patrol,
Newsom said.
[to top of second column]
|
![](../images/070220pics/news_d7.jpg)
Indoor activities at restaurants, movie theaters and other
facilities will be banned in most of California for at least three
weeks as COVID-19 infections surge, Governor Gavin Newsom said on
Wednesday.
![](../images/ads/current/fitzpatrick_lda_SPONSOR_2017.png)
Most of the enforcement activity will be aimed at businesses owners
who flout orders to wear masks, maintain social distancing, or shut
down banned activities, he said.
"We have a responsibility at the same time to go after people that
are thumbing their nose, that are being particularly aggressive,"
Newsom said.
Enforcement officials will have the power to issue citations and
review the licenses of businesses that do not comply, said Mark
Ghilarducci, director of the Office of Emergency Services.
Newsom also asked counties to enforce the rules, saying the state's
recently passed budget allowed him to withhold funds from those that
do not comply.
Hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 have been soaring in the
most populous U.S. state, starting around the Memorial Day weekend.
Over the previous 24 hours, 110 people had died from the disease in
California, the governor said.
Nearly half of the available intensive care beds in the state are
being used by COVID patients, and the rate at which residents are
testing positive for the virus has risen to 6% over the past 14
days, up from 4.6% over the prior 14 days, Newsom said.
(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Dan Grebler, Cynthia
Osterman, Aurora Ellis and Tom Brown)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2020/Jul/02/images/ads/current/stclara_lda_SPONSOR_090519.png) |