California to reopen many retailers Friday, loosen rules on rural counties

OAKLAND — Facing intense pressure to expedite California's reopening, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that some counties will gain more autonomy and certain retailers statewide could offer curbside pickup as soon as Friday.

The announcement acknowledged the mounting political tension driven by the coronavirus' disparate impact on California. Even as major urban centers are still battling the spread of the coronavirus, less populous and rural counties have increasingly clamored for relief given their relatively lower caseloads.

A growing chorus of local elected officials had called for more leeway, and three counties have defiantly allowed businesses to reopen in violation of Newsom's statewide stay-at-home order. Now, counties will be able to return if their county health officers and elected officials approve plans that account for metrics like testing capacity and sanitation, Newsom said.

“Many of these counties, many of these regions have done a ton of work in this space and they’re ready to go,” Newsom said, adding that additional leeway could encompass “the prospect of restaurants with modification opening, hospitality more broadly.”

Newsom stressed that areas with more severe outbreaks, like Southern California and the Bay Area, can continue to maintain tougher restrictions.

The governor seemed to offer some praise for the thought that Modoc, Yuba and Sutter counties put into their social distancing requirements despite defying his order, but said that local governments need to follow a formal statewide process.

"Some were ready, fire, aim instead of ready, aim, fire, but we'll work with them," Newsom said.

Newsom acknowledged that some businesses are ignoring the state by welcoming customers and “not waiting on these announcements” from the state. He warned that preemptive reopenings could invite “unfortunate consequences,” noting that scores of alcohol-serving establishments had retreated and closed again after state regulators threatened to pull their licenses.

While local officials will be responsible for crafting their own plans to restart, Newsom said the state would monitor their adherence to a list of “very prescriptive” guidelines and retains the ability to “ratchet back up” if counties backslide.

Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Nicolaus) — who signed a letter imploring the governor to let less-affected counties like those Gallagher represents revive sooner — said in a statement that “it appears that the Governor may be finally listening to what rural counties have been saying for the past few weeks.”

“Our local small business owners deserve a sigh of relief and shouldn’t have to worry about the heavy hand of state government cracking down on them,” Gallagher said.

Newsom also laid out the most concrete timeline yet for California to begin emerging from its coronavirus-induced economic paralysis. As the rate of infections has eased off in recent weeks, spurring Newsom to lay out a framework for easing restrictions, local elected officials have been increasingly vocal in calling on Newsom to loosen a statewide stay-at-home order.

Newsom had already described a next phase that would allow some retail and manufacturing businesses to resume operations. On Monday he said that businesses that meet a forthcoming list of requirements could begin pickup transactions as soon as Friday.

“As early as the end of this week you will have the capacity as a retailer” to carry out transactions through curbside pickups, Newsom said, citing clothing, bookstores, music, toys, sporting goods stores, florists with Mother’s Day coming up.”

A phased reopening will unfurl in the coming months, starting with the businesses deemed to post the lowest public health risk. California Department of Public Health Director Sonia Angell stressed that shopping malls and seated dining at restaurants would have to wait.

“We’re going to move as rapidly as we can but as safely as we can,” Angell said.

The governor acknowledged that some businesses are ignoring the state by welcoming back customers and “not waiting on these announcements." He warned that preemptive reopenings could invite “unfortunate consequences,” noting that some food establishments had retreated and closed again after being threatened with the loss of their licenses.