Calif. Gov. Newsom imposes new restrictions amid rise in COVID-19 cases

July 2, 2020 Shanon Peckham US 0

FILE – In this Thursday, May 14, 2020, file photo California Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses his revised 2020-2021 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif.

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UPDATED 2:15 PM PT — Wednesday, July 1, 2020

California Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered bars and indoor dining to close in certain counties of the state as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. On Wednesday, he announced the order will apply to 19 counties, closing all indoor restaurants, movie theaters, zoos, museums and entertainment centers.

The restrictions will be enforced for the next three weeks.

This applies to the following counties:

– Contra Costa
– Fresno
– Glenn
– Imperial
– Kern
– Kings
– LA
– Merced
– Orange
– Riverside
– Sacramento
– San Bernardino
– San Joaquin
– Santa Barbara
– Santa Clara
– Solano
– Stanislaus
– Tulare
– Ventura

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 1, 2020

This comes in anticipation of the Fourth of July weekend, which public health officials worried would draw major crowds.

A closure sign is posted at the entrance of a park, Wednesday, July 1, 2020, in Commerce, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The order also came after coronavirus cases in the state increased to 50%.

“We are seeing an increase in not only the total number of positive cases, but a significant increase in the total number of people that are getting tested that are testing positive, meaning the positivity rate, not just the total case rate,” stated Newsom.

The governor has not ordered beaches to close. However, in an effort to decrease crowding, all beach parking lots in Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area will be closed.

NEW: All parking facilities at state beaches in Southern CA and the Bay Area will be CLOSED for the upcoming weekend.#COVID19 does not take 4th of July off. Avoid crowds. Do not gather with people you do not live with.

Wear a mask. Physically distance. Be smart. Do your part.

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 1, 2020

FILE – In this June 27, 2020, file photo, a lifeguard keeps watch over a packed beach in Huntington Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)