It's been over a month since Governor Gavin Newsom announced statewide closures of certain sectors as COVID-19 cases continued to spread rapidly.
On Friday, Newsom announced new guidelines so that the state's economy can reopen safely.
23ABC's Austin Westfall explains the governor's new plan.
CERTAIN SECTORSAS COVID-19 CASES CONTINUED TOSPREAD RAPIDLY.THE GOVERNOR TODAY ANNOUNCINGNEW GUIDELINES SOTHAT THE STATE'S ECONOMY CANREOPEN SAFELY.23ABC'S AUSTIN WESTFALL JOININGUS LIVE AT KERN PUBLIC HEALTHWITH AN EXPLANATION OF THEGOVERNOR'S NEW PLAN,AUSTIN?JESS MANY BUSINESS OWNERS WEREHOPINGGOVERNOR NEWSOM BRIEFING TODAYWOULD BRINGGOOD NEWS.
BUT FOR MANY SECTORS,THAT WASN'T THE CASE.SOME BUSINESSES ARE GOING TO BEOPENING SOONTHOUGH -- AS EARLY AS NEXTMONDAY -- HERE'S A RECAP OF THESTATE'S NEW PLAN.THE CALIFORNIA COVID WATCHLISTIS NO MORE.
GOVERNOR GAVINNEWSOM SAYING IN A BRIEFINGTODAY THAT THE STATE HAS A NEW,SIMPLE, FRAMEWORK FOR REOPENINGTHE ECONOMY.THERE ARE NOW FOUR TIERS -- WITHTIER 4 IN YELLOW BEINGTHE BEST -- AND TIER 1 INPURPLE, WHERE KERN COUNTY IS,THEWORST.
THIS MEANS KERN COUNTY ISIN THE "WIDESPREAD"CATEGORY, BUT STILL, THE NEWGUIDELINES MEAN SOME INDUSTRIESCAN REOPEN INDOOR OPERATIONSWITH MODIFICATIONS."HAIR SALONS AND BARBERSHOPS INTHE PURPLE, WIDESPREAD, WILL BEALLOWED TOOPERATE AS SOON AS MONDAY."THE STATE SAYS RETAIL ANDSHOPPING CENTERS WILLALSO BE ALLOWED TO OPEN AT 25PERCENT CAPACITY WITHCLOSED COMMON AREAS AND FOODCOURTS.KERN COUNTY CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVEOFFICER RYANALSOP TWEETING THAT RESTAURANTSMUST CONTINUETO LIMIT OPERATIONS TO OUTDOORDINING, TAKE HOME ANDDELIVERY ONLY.
GYMS AND FITNESSCENTERS ARE TO REMAINCLOSED FOR ALL INDOOROPERATIONS.
KERN COUNTY BEING INTIER ONE MEANS WE HAVE MORE THAN7DAILY NEW CASES PER 100,000PEOPLE, AS WELL AS MORE THAN 8-PERCENT OF OUR TESTS COMING BACKPOSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS.GETTING OUT OF TIER ONE IS ASLOW PROCESS, ACCORDING TOGOVERNOR NEWSOM."IN ORDER TO MOVE OUT OF THOSETIERS, THERE IS NOW A 21-DAYMANDATORY WAITTIME."EACH COUNTY WILL BE ASSESSED BYTHE STATE EVERYTUESDAY, STARTING ON SEPTEMBER8TH.
IN ORDER FOR ACOUNTY TO BE MOVED FORWARD ATIER, THEY MUST MEET THE TIER'SCRITERIA FOR TWO WEEKS."WE HAVE CRITERIA THAT TOGGLESFORWARD, BUT ALSO TOGGLES BACK.IF YOUFAIL TO MEET THE CRITERIA FOR ATLEAST TWO WEEKS THEN YOU'LL HAVETOMOVE BACK INTO THE OLD TIER."COUNTIES CAN ONLY MOVE ONE TIERAT A TIME, ACCORDING TONEWSOM.NOW TODAY'S BRIEFING EXTENSIVELYCOVERED HOWTHE NEW TIER SYSTEM WORKS.
WEHAVE THE FULL VIDEO POSTED ONOUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
THE STATE HASALSO CREATED ASEARCHABLE DATABASE SO THATRESIDENTS IN EACH COUNTYCAN FIGURE OUT WHICH BUSINESSESARE AND ARE NOTOPEN.
YOU CAN FIND THAT ON OURWEBSITE TURNTO23.COM.JESS.AUSTIN, ASIDE FROM RYAN ALSOP'STWEET WHAT HAS THE COUNTY HAD TOSAY ABOUT THE GOVERNOR'S NEWGUIDELINES?CAN FIGURE OUT WHICH BUSINESSESARE AND ARE NOT OPEN.
YOU CANFIND THAT ON OUR WEBSITETURNTO23.COM.
JESS.KERN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH HASN'TSAID MUCH.
BUT WEKNOW THEY ARE REVIEWING ALL THATTHE GOVERNOR SAIDTODAY, AND WILL BE HOLDING APRESS CONFERENCE TOTALK ABOUT IT ON MONDAY.19 NEW COVID-19 DEATHS WEREREPORTED BY THE KERN COUNTYPUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT TODAY.THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL NUMBER OFRESIDENTS WHO HAVE DIED TO 273.PRESS CONFERENCE TO TALK ABO