Certain businesses in 19 California counties, including four in the Central Valley, must close indoor operations due to a spike in coronavirus cases, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday, July 1.
Fresno County, along with Kings, Tulare, Kern and Merced, must close indoor operations of businesses such as restaurants, wineries and tasting rooms, movie theaters, family entertainment centers, zoos, museums and cardrooms, effective immediately.
Closures are for indoor operations only. Outdoor operations will still be allowed.
The new restrictions are expected to be in place for at least three weeks as part of an amendment to the stay-at-home order that has been in place since mid-March.
“We bent the curve in the state of California once, and we will bend it again,” Newsom said. “But we’re going to have to be tougher, and that is why we’re taking this action today.”
The counties affected have been on the state’s watchlist for at least three consecutive days.
Newsom recommended that counties on the watchlist cancel their Fourth of July fireworks celebrations set for this weekend.
He added that the state would focus on enforcing the restrictions using resources from organizations such as Alcohol Beverage Control, CalOSHA, the Dept. of Business Oversight, the Dept. of Consumer Affairs and the California Highway Patrol.
California has seen a dramatic rise in the number coronavirus cases. The state saw 5,898 new cases overnight, and the positivity rate has increased to 6 percent.