California orders sweeping rollback of open businesses as virus cases surge
Published Date: 7/13/2020
Source: axios.com
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday ordered indoor operations for restaurants, wineries, movie theaters and other family entertainment like zoos, museums and card rooms to cease immediately. Bars must also close entirely. Why it matters: It's the largest statewide rollback of a reopening plan yet, underscoring the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in California. 30 counties in the state will also be required to close fitness centers, places of worship, offices for noncritical sectors, personal care services, hair salons, barbershops and malls.The 30 counties on the list represent about 80% of Californians, Newsom said.By the numbers: California has reported a seven-day average of more than 8,500 new coronavirus cases per day, according to state data. The state has reported 329,162 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in total, resulting in 7,040 deaths.California's ICU rate has increased by 20% over the last two weeks. More than 1,800 patients are now in the ICU."The data suggest not everybody is practicing common sense," Newsom said.The big picture: Earlier Monday, the state's two largest public school districts — Los Angeles and San Diego — announced that they would not return to in-person classes in the fall. California is currently one of the worst-hit states in the country, along with Florida, Arizona and Texas.