Mall, shoppers defy governor

Two California counties reopening businesses despite orders

YUBA CITY, Calif. — Several dozen shoppers streamed into the first California mall to reopen Wednesday despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s orders restricting businesses because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Doors opened just before 11 a.m. at Yuba Sutter Mall in Yuba City, the county seat of rural Sutter County, which with adjacent Yuba County has defied Newsom’s order.

Chelsie Perkins, 28, manages a nearby restaurant that reopened Monday and came to the mall in search of some durable shoes. “It’s always the big-box stores that can stay open, and not the small ones,” she said.

Amanda Benjamin, 28, said she hoped to find some summer clothes for her 8-year-old son, adding that Walmart has been sold out of clothes in his size. “People need something,” she said of the mall opening.

A line of women formed outside Nail Tech. Many wore masks, but some did not. Natasha Shelton, general manager of the mall, didn’t like the length of the line and asked the store to move to appointment only.

Shelton said the goal was to keep the traffic to one person per 50 square feet. But they were not enforcing that.

Most of the national chain stores were closed, but customers could still rent a tux, buy a couch, browse summer dresses and satisfy their sweet tooth.

Newsom has called the decision by the two counties “a big mistake” that could slow the state’s recovery from the coronavirus.

The counties, with a combined population of about 175,000, are the largest to rebel against Newsom.