California closes businesses and schools as coronavirus outbreak grows

SACRAMENTO (Reuters) – The California governor on Monday put new restrictions on businesses as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations increased, and the state’s two largest school districts, Los Angeles and San Diego, said children they would stay home in August.

Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, ordered the closure of bars and restaurants, movie theaters, zoos and museums across the country’s most populous state for indoor operations to cease. Gyms, churches, and beauty salons must close in the 30 most affected counties.

“It is up to all of us to seriously acknowledge that COVID-19 will not disappear soon, until there is an effective vaccine and / or therapy,” Newsom said at a press conference.

The governor called the move critical to stem an increase in COVID-19 cases that have strained hospitals in several of California’s rural counties.

The Los Angeles and San Diego public school districts, which instruct a combined total of 706,000 students and employ 88,000 people, said in a joint statement that they would teach online only when the school resumes in August, citing vague scientific guidelines. ” vague and contradictory. ”

Districts said countries that have safely reopened schools have done so only after setting declining infection rates and on-demand coronavirus testing.

“California has none,” the statement said, adding: “The high infection rates in recent weeks make it clear that the pandemic is not under control.”

The union representing Los Angeles teachers applauded the strategy in a separate statement released shortly after school closings were announced.

“In the face of the alarming increase in COVID cases, the lack of necessary government funds to open schools safely and the enormous death threat facing working-class communities of color, there really is no other option than to put thousands lives at risk, “said United Teachers Los Angeles.

Brenda Del Hierro, who has two children in Los Angeles schools, said that resuming traditional instruction was important, but that the dangers needed to be considered. “For their social and emotional well-being they need to go back to school. But at the end of the day there is too much risk, “she said.

Districts collide with trumpet

The decision to cancel classes in person puts districts at odds with United States President Donald Trump, who said he could withhold federal funds or remove the tax-exempt state from school systems that refuse to reopen. Most funds for education come from state and local governments.

Administration officials have said the data does not suggest that attending school is dangerous for children because their infection rates are much lower than those of the general population.

In response to the California districts announcement, the White House reiterated that the ideal scenario is for students to go to school. “Hopefully Los Angeles and San Diego can come soon too, since that’s what’s best for the kids.” spokesman Judd Deer said.

Newsom, who said during the pandemic that it was up to local school districts to determine the best way to educate their students, applauded the announcements from Los Angeles and San Diego.

But Republicans criticized the governor for failing to issue state guidelines for schools during the health crisis.

“While he continues to blame Californians for his leadership failure, his demands to close our small businesses and the lack of direction to open schools will further harm California school children and the small businesses that fuel our economy.” Jessica Millan Patterson, chair of the California Republican Party, said in a written statement.

California, along with Florida, Arizona, and Texas have become the new epicenters of the pandemic in the United States. Infections have increased rapidly in about 40 of the 50 states in the past two weeks, according to a Reuters analysis.

Despite nearly 28,000 new cases of COVID-19 in the past two days in Florida, Disney World in Orlando welcomed the public on Saturday for the first time since March with guests forced to wear masks, undergo temperature checks, and stay physically separated.