Newsom orders bars closed
7 counties must close establishments in effort to stop resurgence
In the Bay Area, it won’t have much of an impact: Bars in Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties were already closed, and they’ll probably stay that way for a while.
But Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order Sunday to close bars in seven counties and recommend closures in eight others added to an unmistakable message: California, with more than 200,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and a surge of new cases in recent days, is far from finished with the outbreak.
The governor already had ordered statewide mask use in public and high-risk areas as case numbers crept back up. On Friday, with a high positivity rate straining hospitals’ ability to respond in Imperial County, Newsom urged local health officials to reinstate their stay-at-home order.
Sunday’s escalation provided the most urgent call yet to the state’s residents, a warning that scenes of bars and nightclubs packed with young people belied the strength of the virus and its danger to public health.
“We are actively monitoring COVID-19 across the state and working closely with counties where there are increased rates and concerning patterns of transmission,” said the state public health officer, Dr. Sonia Angell. “Closing bars in these counties is
one of a number of targeted actions counties are implementing across our state to slow the virus’ spread and reduce risk.”
Bars in Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, San Joaquin and Tulare counties were ordered to close because the counties have been on the COVID-19 watch list for two weeks. Counties on the recommended list — including Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Stanislaus and Ventura — have been on the watch list for at least three days.
Los Angeles County health officials said Sunday that a county health officer’s order would be amended to “require that all bars, breweries, brew pubs, pubs, wineries and tasting rooms close unless they are offering sitdown dine-in meals. This includes closing bar areas in restaurants,” the department said in a statement.
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said Sunday he supported the governor’s actions.
“As we started reopening more businesses, we cautioned that we may need to change course to protect public health from
this deadly virus,” Garcetti wrote on Twitter. “I support @CAGovernor’s order to close bars in L.A. County and other counties to limit the spread of COVID-19.”
The “recommended” closures are not mandated by the state, so local health departments will be allowed to decide the next steps, a Newsom spokesperson said via email.
“The actions being taken are essential to our mission to swiftly contain this virus and enhance public health,” the email said. “We can only slow the spread if everyone does their part.”
Messages left Sunday for bar owners and health officials in Contra Costa County were not immediately responded to. But the county already was reconsidering its plans for reopening. On Friday, it became one of three Bay Area counties to publicly state concerns over rising case numbers.
In a statement, health officials in Contra Costa County revealed that the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals had increased 42%. The data released by the county showed that coronavirus cases were growing among the bar-going 40-and-under crowd, which accounted for 38% of cases in April. In June, that number shot to
55% of cases.
“It’s a sign that younger people are playing a major role in driving the increase in new cases and potentially infecting vulnerable individuals,” the statement said.
In Santa Clara County, outdoor dining and in-store shopping reopened June 5, but there have been no announcements to reopen bars. Last Tuesday, health officer Dr. Sara Cody called the county’s uptick in cases “worrisome.”
Newsom did not mention other types of businesses, such as indoor restaurants and nail salons; those businesses are slated to open Wednesday in Contra Costa County.
But for now, bars in Contra Costa County will have to remain closed, despite their eagerness to reopen.
You can hear that eagerness in the outgoing phone message of Lafayette’s Round Up Saloon.
“Our projected opening is July 1,” the recording says. “We will be back stronger than ever with outside seating and new safety and sanitation protocols in place. Can’t wait to see you.”
The Associated Press and the Southern California News Group contributed to this report.