For California's big cities, San Diego in a class by itself

SAN DIEGO (AP) — With blistering temperatures predicted for California's Labor Day weekend, people in San Diego can escape the heat by catching a flick in an air-conditioned movie theater or eating inside a restaurant — options most in the state don't have because of restrictions to control the coronavirus.

Among California’s 10 most populous counties, San Diego is the only one with virus cases low enough to meet state standards for reopening theaters, museums and gyms, and resuming indoor dining — all with limited capacity to provide for physical distancing.

And while some California coastal cities and counties are closing beaches or restricting activities to control crowds and potential virus outbreaks this weekend, the city of San Diego's beaches and most others in the county are fully open.

SeaWorld, a San Diego landmark, also is reopening several of its indoor exhibits this weekend, such as the Penguin Encounter, Shark Encounter and Turtle Reef.

Supervisor Greg Cox said residents can support businesses and continue the state's positive trajectory by wearing masks and social distancing.

“Let’s not blow this opportunity,” he said. “Let’s work together to control our own destiny and show the rest of the state how it’s done."

California, the nation’s most populous state, has had more than 717,000 confirmed virus cases, and the third-most deaths with more than 13,000. However, cases and hospitalizations have dropped precipitously since peaking in mid-July. In the last week, daily cases have fallen to an average of around 4,800, about half what they were at the peak, and the rate of positive tests has dropped to 4.4%.

Things are even better in San Diego County, where the rate of positive tests has dropped to 3.8%. San Diego — with a population...