“We bent the curve in the state of California once,” Governor Gavin Newsom said. “We will bend the curve again, we will crush this pandemic. But we’ll have to be tougher.” California is now the biggest coronavirus hotspot in the country, following an increase in testing and the decision to reopen too soon. Following the surge in cases, large counties in California have new restrictions in time for the fourth of July.
New Rules
Bars were recently closed, although I’ve seen one or two keeping their doors open for customers… Now, the state is threatening to remove their liquor licenses. Restaurants that remain open, although they’ve now been told to close in-door service, will face similar repercussions. Only to-go orders are OK.
Beaches Are Closed
With the fourth of July days away, when family and friend gatherings and beach trips are common, Newsom isn’t taking any chances. As the governor said, people drop their guards and go for embraces. It’s not the time for hugs and kisses at a party, though, so California residents are being told to avoid contact with people they don’t live with right now. A hard law to enforce, yes, so it’s on the people of California to do their part to help bend the curve again. Major California beaches will be closed on July 4th weekend. Public beaches, their bike paths and parking lots, and piers will be closed. A warning from LA County:
“This new order makes it illegal to trespass at these locations and is punishable by law to include, but not limited to, a $1,000 fine. Please follow the LA County Health Mandates. We want to ensure the health and safety of all our residents.”
“It’s family gatherings where people let down their guard,” Newsom added. “Then all of a sudden, you see a spread.”
Mask Orders
Sadly, there are people out of their mind in this country turning wearing masks for safety into a political issue. Some crazies refuse to wear them, putting themselves and others at risk. Newsom has made masks mandatory in California, but still, people are breaking the rules all over the state. Now, the governor is focusing on increasing enforcement on masks:
We’ll be doing more to focus on enforcement in this state. Primarily local enforcement. We have conditioned $2.5 billion in our state budget on [local officials] applying the spirit and the letter of the law. If local officials are unwilling to enforce and being dismissive, we will condition those funds on compliance.”
Movie Theaters Can’t Reopen Yet
Movie theaters were starting to get the greenlight to reopen, but now, they’re going to have to wait an additional three weeks, at least in California. AMC Theaters don’t plan on reopening until July 31st anyway, but we’ll see.
A Warning for California Residents
Too many people in California are going back to business as usual. Just the other day I overheard people talking about going to a party. Too many people are making dangerous decisions, which the director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, knows. She issued the following warning:
“The alarming increases in cases, positivity rates and hospitalizations signals that we, as a community, need to take immediate action to slow the spread of COVID-19. Our actions to slow the spread cannot wait—we need to do these actions now and for the weeks ahead in order to prevent even more serious illness and death. The Fourth of July holiday weekend typically means large crowds and gatherings to celebrate, a recipe for increased transmission of COVID-19. We all need to take this virus more seriously and residents and business owners must do their part.”
