California is opening back up for business using a four-phase system imposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The governor announced that small retailers can open on Friday as long as they follow guidelines to ensure safety, such as implementing curbside pickup and face masks.
“Giving businesses the option to reopen and provide storefront pickup will provide some relief for everyone in our city – allowing some people to get back to work, while still protecting public health,” San Francisco mayor London Breed said in a statement. “The last thing we want is to see a spike in the number of cases or hospitalizations, so we’re going to be keeping close track of our key Covid-19 indicators and will be ready to make any adjustment needed to keep our community healthy.”
The state has been eager to get back in operation after the Stay-At-Home order was enforced on March 19. Some cities opened up early against Newsom’s recommendation. There were also reports that people were not wearing their face masks or practicing social distancing while perusing in stores.
Newsom is working on releasing more information on how businesses can qualify for reopening by having contact tracers to determine who has been exposed to coronavirus.
Recently, it was revealed that the community spread of coronavirus for California occurred in a nail salon. As a result, nail salons are considered high-risk businesses and will not be included in the early re-openings until phase 3. High-risk businesses also include gyms and hair salons. Currently, California is in phase 1, transitioning to phase 2.
“This whole thing started in the state of California, the first community spread, in a nail salon,” Newsom said at a press conference. “I’m very worried about that.”
California is one of the top states impacted by COVID-19 with 62,477 total cases and 2,545 deaths, according to the John Hopkins University.
