Newsom Closes Bars, Halts Indoor Dining in 19 Counties in California
Published Date: 7/2/2020
Source: Bloomberg QuickTake News
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday ordered bars and indoor dining at restaurants to close in most areas of the state for the next three weeks amid a troubling surge of new coronavirus cases throughout the state. The revised stay-at-home order affects 19 counties where nearly three-quarters of the state's roughly 40 million people live -- including Los Angeles County. Newsom says indoor dine-in restaurants, wineries and tasting rooms, family entertainment centers, movie theaters, zoos and museums and cardrooms must close. The order comes ahead of what's expected to be a busy Fourth of July weekend, worrying public health officials as people begin to gather in larger numbers after the state had relaxed its stay-at-home order to allow more businesses to open. Newsom did not order beaches to close, but said parking lots at all beaches in Southern California and the San Francisco Bay area would close to limit crowds. State parks will remain open, but with measures in place to reduce overcrowding. Newsom said the order applies to counties that have been on the state's monitoring list for three consecutive days: Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Merced, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Solano, Stanislaus, Tulare and Ventura. Confirmed coronavirus cases in California have increased nearly 50% over the past two weeks. But more concern to officials is the steady growth in COVID_19 hospitalizations — a 43% increase in the past two weeks. Many local governments have delayed reopening or imposed extra restrictions as cases rise. Officials in Los Angeles County closed beaches for the Fourth of July weekend while Fresno County in the Central Valley ordered all bars to close. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm QUICKTAKE ON SOCIAL: Follow QuickTake on Twitter: twitter.com/quicktake Like QuickTake on Facebook: facebook.com/quicktake Follow QuickTake on Instagram: instagram.com/quicktake Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/2FJ0oQZ Email us at [email protected] QuickTake by Bloomberg is a global news network delivering up-to-the-minute analysis on the biggest news, trends and ideas for a new generation of leaders.