California governor urges mask-wearing as virus cases rise
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Californians should wear masks and skip Fourth of July family gatherings, Gov. Gavin Newsom pleaded as the state’s coronavirus tally surged. But the governor stopped short of threatening a crackdown on those who violate state public health orders.
Newsom on Thursday urged people to turn to their “better angels” and use common sense but said, “It’s more education. I’m not coming out with a fist.”
His request came a day after over 4,000 more cases of COVID-19 were reported in California.
While some areas of the state have shown relatively few cases, some of the most densely populated are struggling with rapid rises in infections and hospitalizations. The rates of hospitalizations and positivity — the proportion of those tested who were found to have the virus — have soared over the past two weeks.
Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s top health official, called the holiday weekend a “big deal” for efforts to contain the virus and urged people to behave differently than they did on Memorial Day weekend, when many gathered socially. Authorities say that behavior helped spur the latest surge of cases.
With slackening of the state’s stay-at-home order, there have been instances where bars, restaurants and beaches were packed, and some people did not wear masks during mass protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
State authorities sent letters Thursday to every employer — about 350,000 businesses — warning that failure to implement the face coverings order could result in fines and potential criminal prosecution.
Newsom said seven state agencies with regulatory authority would target non-compliant businesses, including the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the Department of Consumer Affairs and...
