CALIFORNIA— Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday, May 4, informed the public that some retail businesses in the state can reopen beginning at the end of the week if certain criteria is met and with modifications to ensure safety.
Newsom stated that state officials will issue further guidance for this process on Thursday, including specific guidelines that low-risk businesses must meet in order to reopen. Retailers that may reopen by end of this week include stores that sell clothing, books, music, toys, florists, and sporting goods, so long as they offer curbside pickup services. Those who manufacture items for these retail businesses can also begin to produce goods.
The Governor also mentioned the state would also allow some counties to begin easing social distancing restrictions even further if they can prove they have the ability to institute proper sanitation practices, ensure adequate testing and tracing, and provide security to those who are most vulnerable, including the homeless community, older citizens, and the incarcerated. In a tweet by the Governor’s office, he stated the following are not set to open just yet: offices, restaurants, and shopping malls. Offices can continue to telework if possible.
“We will allow additional movement through phase two, and that includes the prospect of restaurants with modifications opening, hospitality more broadly opening, again, with modification,” Newsom said in a press briefing.
Phase three of the state’s reopening plan includes businesses such as hair and nail salons, movie theaters, and events with live audiences, although it is unclear when that would take place. California is able to move forward with easing restrictions due to the stability of hospitalizations related to COVID-19 and the state’s ability to conduct more testing and contact tracing.
Additionally, the state is partnering with the University of California, San Francisco, and the University of California, Los Angeles, in order to offer contact tracing courses to expand the state’s current ability to trace contacts of known positive COVID-19 cases, which will add 20,000 contact tracers within the next few phases of reopening. California currently has 3,000 contact tracers.
Other data that supports the ability to begin reopening phases in the state include having access to a significant amount of personal protective equipment with over 18.2 million surgical masks and 5.8 million face shields, as well as the peace of mind that hundreds of millions more masks have been ordered. California also has more than 10,000 ventilators not being used and over 2,000 available hospital beds.
