By Shawn Raymundo
News of the state allowing more sectors of California to begin reopening by next week is expected to come down Friday, June 5, as the Associated Press reported that schools, bars, gyms and professional sports could be allowed to resume with modifications as early as June 12.
A formal announcement with guidance for counties to follow regarding the reopening of those sectors is anticipated to come from the state later on Friday, California’s top health official, Mark Ghaly, told the wire service. Officials with the state’s Health and Human Services Agency were not immediately available to respond to a request for comment as of this posting.
Friday’s awaited announcement marks the latest step forward in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s four-stage, phased approach to reopening the state amid the ongoing public health crisis. Late last month, California restaurants were allowed to begin offering dine-in service again, while maintaining social distancing measures such as limiting seating and spacing out tables.
According to AP, certain thresholds with regard to number of coronavirus cases will need to be met in order for counties to begin reopening bars, gyms and professional sports. The rules for reopening schools and day camps, AP reported, will apply across the state.
Businesses included in a potential June 12 reopening, as outlined by the state’s county reopening map and with proper social distancing and health guidelines, include bowling alleys, miniature golf, batting cages, arcades, restaurants, brewpubs, craft distilleries, breweries, bars, pubs, wineries, gyms, fitness facilities, museums, galleries, botanical gardens, zoos, aquariums, hotels, lodging, short-term rentals, cardrooms, satellite wagering facilities, racetracks with onsite wagering, campgrounds, RV parks, and outdoor recreation areas
The news comes the same day that Orange County’s health office reported 296 new coronavirus cases since Thursday—the largest single-day jump for the county. The previous single-day record was 244 cases reported on May 20.
To date, Orange County has a cumulative total of 7,064 cases, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. There were nine new reported deaths on Friday, bringing the total death count to 174 in the county.
There are currently 283 people who are being treated for coronavirus at a hospital in Orange County, with 123 of them needing to be admitted to intensive care units, the health office reported.
Cumulatively, 3,021 people have recovered from contracting the virus. More than 1,930 new tests for coronavirus were reported Friday, as the cumulative total reached 148,371.
In San Clemente, a total of 70 people have contracted coronavirus. San Juan Capistrano has had 60 cases, to date, while Dana Point has seen 30 cases, according to the health agency’s latest data.
This is a developing story.
Shawn RaymundoShawn Raymundo is the city editor for the San Clemente Times. He graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in Global Studies. Before joining Picket Fence Media, he worked as the government accountability reporter for the Pacific Daily News in the U.S. territory of Guam. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnzyTsunami and follow San Clemente Times @SCTimesNews.