Newsom slams Northern California counties as "making a big mistake" for opening restaurants, gyms,

[TexasTowelie]

Newsom slams Northern California counties as “making a big mistake” for opening restaurants, gyms, salons and spas


Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday sharply criticized two Northern California counties that have defied his health guidelines and begun to re-open restaurant dining rooms, gyms, hair salons and shopping malls.

“They are making a big mistake. They are putting their public at risk,” Newsom said of Yuba and Sutter counties. “They are putting our progress at risk. These are exceptions. The overwhelming majority of Californians are playing by the rules and doing the right thing.”

The issue highlights the latest example of local communities bucking Newsom and state public health leaders’ orders as the coronavirus pandemic drags on, and the delicate balancing act he is trying to perform between limiting the spread of the disease while governing a huge state with 40 million residents and dramatically different economies, politics and rates of COVID-19.

The two counties, north of Sacramento, are mostly rural. Yuba County has 72,000 residents and Sutter County about 95,000. Combined, they have 50 reported cases of COVID-19 and three deaths. By contrast, the Bay Area, with more than 7 million residents, 9,118 cases and 330 deaths, has more stringent rules that generally allow only “essential” businesses, including supermarkets, banks and gas stations, to operate.

Read more: https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2020/05/05/coronavirus-newsom-slams-northern-california-counties-as-making-a-big-mistake-for-opening-restaurants-gyms-salons-and-spas/