California will shut down bars and end the indoor operations of restaurants, wineries, movie theaters and other establishments to slow the “alarming” speed of COVID-19’s spread in the state, the governor said Monday.
Cases and hospitalizations for COVID-19 have broken records in California this month, with more than 7,000 fatalities recognized by the state as of Sunday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced the new restrictions on Twitter:
NEW: #COVID19 cases continue to spread at alarming rates.
CA is now closing indoor operations STATEWIDE for:
-Restaurants
-Wineries
-Movie theaters, family entertainment
-Zoos, museums
-CardroomsBars must close ALL operations.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 13, 2020
Newsom also announced that in dozens of hard-hit counties — which together account for 80% of the state’s population — hair salons, gyms, places of worship and other facilities would be closed.
The rules follow localized restrictions on dining and other forms of indoor gathering in recent days, as state officials have tried to get a handle on the virus.
In Los Angeles County alone, 3,200 new cases were confirmed Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Los Angeles County, by far the most populous county in the state, accounts for more than half of the COVID-19 deaths in the state.
Citing “skyrocketing infection rates,” California’s two largest school districts — serving the Los Angeles and San Diego areas — announced Monday that they would continue with online learning in the fall, rather than opening schools for in-person education.
