California governor says some business may reopen this week

YUBA CITY, Calif. (AP) — With more local governments moving ahead with their own plans for reopening, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday the state will begin gradually allowing clothing stores, florists, bookstores and sporting goods shops to open their doors after a nearly seven-week coronavirus shutdown.

Newsom said the threat of the virus spreading had leveled off to a point where certain retail businesses could again serve customers starting as early as Friday, but with curbside pickups and other restrictions. Requirements for operation won't be released until Thursday and Newsom warned that signs the virus has started spreading rapidly might force him to reimpose tighter restrictions.

"I know this can sound confusing," Newsom said at one point, as he sought to explain various requirements in the state's evolving plan to emerge from the crisis.

“Let’s stay the course, let’s stay together,” he said.

The announcement came days after a string of noisy demonstrations, including on the Capitol grounds where roughly 1,000 protesters gathered and over 30 were arrested. They urged the state to drop orders that have left millions unemployed and brought the world's fifth-largest economy to a near-standstill.

On Monday, the state hospital association said California hospitals have lost up to $14 billion by postponing elective surgeries and other procedures to clear space in anticipation of a flood of coronavirus patients that never came.

Even as Newsom talked of a measured, cautious return to normalcy in the nation's most populous state, some communities were outpacing him. And even in counties in lockstep with the governor, some businesses have reopened on their own and few have been cited by local authorities.

State regulators have received 81...