A surge of coronavirus cases in California is pitting residents of the Golden State against each other, with one side frustrated that not enough people are taking the virus seriously, while others are angered by the state’s response and its impact on small businesses.
For months, that anger had been directed at Governor Gavin Newsom and other state health officials for closing deals to slow the spread of the virus. Hotbeds of protests arose across the state as the financial effects began to be felt.
FILE: People line up to take a COVID-19 test in the Skid Row district of Los Angeles.
(AP)
Frustration temporarily eased when companies received the green light last month to gradually reopen with current restrictions. Many people, uneasy about months of confinement, mocked the rules of social estrangement and refused to wear masks while attending family dinners and outdoor parties.
In early July, cases began to escalate in California, leading to Governor Newsom’s announcement Monday that all bars across the state must close stores and that restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, family entertainment centers , zoos, museums and game rooms should suspend indoor activities.
The Democratic governor also announced that all non-critical gyms, houses of worship, shopping malls, personal care services, hair salons, salons and offices in counties on the state’s “watch list” had to close under the new order.
The order affects more than 30 counties that house about 80 percent of California’s population.
The order sparked a wave of anger from residents, many of whom accused the alleged neglect of their fellow Californians of creating the 2.0 shutdown.
California Governor Gavin Newsom visits the McClellan Recharge Base of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in Sacramento, California.
(AP)
“It really, in my opinion, sheds light on how many rights we have as a society,” actor Coby Ryan McLaughlin tweeted. “Wear a mask, don’t go to [expletive] parties at home. Just relax. Follow the rules for once, and don’t make it this big political problem. “
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Others were quick to point out the hypocrisy of the “wear a mask” crowds for keeping silent on the issue when protesters came out en masse, many without masks or social estrangement, in the wake of George Floyd’s death in late police custody. pm. May.
“But Democrats said we can’t get it in a protest,” wrote one user quoted by the Los Angeles Times, in response to a protest video. “Only the beach or a bar or restaurant. Home Depot and Walmart are safe. “
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The issue of reopening school campuses has also become a focal point of debate. This week both Los Angeles and San Diego, California’s two largest school districts, announced that they would continue online classrooms in the fall, while Orange County, largely administered by conservative policymakers, voted that schools will reopen without the need for masks or social distancing.
Fox News’ Andrew O’Reilly contributed to this report.
