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Newsom Expected To Lift California Stay-At-Home Orders, Resume Outdoor Dining, Report Says

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Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom revoked the state’s stay-at-home order and outdoor dining ban, which have both been in effect since December.

The state’s December stay-at-home order had been entirely lifted, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) said in a press release Monday. The CDPH also announced that services such as outdoor dining “may resume immediately.”

“Californians heard the urgent message to stay home as much as possible and accepted that challenge to slow the surge and save lives,” Dr. Tomás Aragón, CDPH director and state public health officer, said in a statement. “Together, we changed our activities knowing our short-term sacrifices would lead to longer-term gains.”

On Sunday evening, the California Restaurant Association (CRA) said sources told them Gov. Gavin Newsom would soon lift the orders in a letter to its members, according to ABC affiliate KABC-TV.

“Senior officials in the Newsom administration informed us that the Governor will announce tomorrow that the stay-at-home order will be lifted in all regions of the state,” the CRA said in the letter.

Newsom ordered Californians in five regions – Northern California, Bay Area, Greater Sacramento, San Joaquin Valley and Southern California – to stay at home “as much as possible” on Dec. 3.

“We are at a tipping point in our fight against the virus and we need to take decisive action now to prevent California’s hospital system from being overwhelmed in the coming weeks,” Newsom said in a December statement.

In addition to green lighting outdoor dining, the announcement will enable salons and barbershops to resume outdoor appointments, according to Politico.

While the announcement is expected to be welcome news for business owners in California, local health officials will still be able to impose strict restrictions of their own, according to the CDPH.

On Sunday, California reported 21,680 new coronavirus cases and 300 coronavirus-related deaths, according to data compiled by The New York Times. Fifty-four of the state’s 58 counties remain in California’s most restrictive tier status, according to Politico.