Gov. Gavin Newsom Orders Closure of Indoor Operations for Counties on the Watch List

As COVID-19 continues to spread across California, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday afternoon announced the statewide closure of indoor operations for restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, movie theaters, family entertainment centers, zoos and museums, card rooms and all bars.

In addition, the 30 counties on the state’s COVID-19 watch list must also shutter fitness centers, worship services, offices in non-critical sectors, personal care services, hair salons, barbershops and indoor malls. While Santa Clara County was recently removed from the state’s watch list and won’t be impacted, Newsom said the list is dynamic and expects two more counties to be added in the coming days.

“Counties come on in some cases [and] counties come off depending on the criteria that was established on the front end and their ability to mitigate trend lines to mitigate spread, to mitigate hospitalizations, ICUs and the like,” the governor said.

COVID-19 patients now make up 16 percent of all ICU beds in California, compared to 15 percent last week. Despite still having 10,187 ventilators and 4,178 ICU and NICU beds available statewide, Newsom said that hospitals in rural parts of California—especially Placer and Butte counties—are starting to feel the strain of COVID-19.

“This virus is not going away anytime soon,” Newsom said. “I hope all of us recognize that if we were still connected to some notion that somehow when it gets warm it’s going to go away or somehow it’s going to take summer months or weekends off, this virus has done neither.”

Newsom said that the state’s 7-day average of new COVID-19 cases is 8,211 a day, compared to last week’s average, which was 7,876 a day. In Santa Clara County, COVID-19 cases have also been trending upwards. On Sunday, the county shattered its previous record by reporting 321 new COVID-19 cases.

On the same day as Newsom’s announcement, Santa Clara County entered into the first day of its latest health order, which allows gyms, hair salons, personal care services and some outdoor activities to resume. If the county is added to the watch list, many of those businesses would have to close once again.

“The new order was created with harm reduction in mind, understanding that COVID-19 will be with us for a while and we must change the way we live and do business to prevent us from infecting one another,” Santa Clara County Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said in a statement on Friday.

All businesses—even those that have been open—must complete a Social Distancing Protocol form before resuming operations this week.

3 Comments

  1. “This virus is not going away any time soon…” I TOLD YOU SO! Those who do not learn from history and known knowledge repeat mistakes. This virus does not care about politics or economic struggles. It is here to stay and to kill.

  2. You are talking to yourself and not listening. Noone is saying the virus is going away. We are saying now that it’s here, stop panicking and live life. Everyone has to die someday. Forcing everyone to live in a bubble will not make the virus go away. That hasn’t worked so far. No reason to think it will work now.

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