Community spread of the coronavirus in California started at a nail salon, Governor Gavin Newsom said last Thursday while other states gave permission to such businesses to reopen.
The governor revealed a four-stage plan to reopen California’s economy, in effect from this Friday. Unlike other states, California will not permit nail salons to reopen until the plan has reached its third stage. It is now moving from stage 1 to stage 2.
“It all started in the state of California, the first community broadcast, in a nail salon,” Newsom said in a press conference. “I am very worried about this.“
The governor added that state health directors have categorized nail salons as a high-risk business, comparing them to barbershops, hair salons, and gyms.
Last Monday, he made an announcement in which he said that California would permit some low-risk businesses, including warehouses, bookstore, flower shops, and others, to reopen with some changes and offer pickup services as of Friday.
JUST IN: Gov. Newsom says community spread of the #coronavirus in California started in a nail salon. https://t.co/3ASSp6FPK3 pic.twitter.com/puc1VoRLaz
— NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) May 7, 2020
Newsom has not revealed a timeframe for reopening of businesses such as nail salons, and this will likely depend on the local handling of the crisis in different areas of the state.
More than 62,400 people have been infected with the coronavirus while 2,545 lost their lives in California so far.
Other places have been more carefree when it comes to reopening such businesses. Texas Governor Greg Abbott made an announcement recently saying that hair salons, tanning salons, and nail salons will be permitted to open for business Friday with changes.
As people reopen their business in different ways and to different degrees in each state, epidemiologists will carefully be monitoring the outcomes.
But in the absence of solid coronavirus testing and recording, the researchers say it will likely take weeks after the reopening until political decisions can be pinpointed in the data.
For CBSLA’s report on the story please see the video below.
NEW: California Gov. Gavin Newsom said today that the state’s first case of community spread was at a nail salon, though he did not disclose the date or location of this spread https://t.co/eIX5MQoVsw pic.twitter.com/Yz1DS0cLGu
— CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) May 8, 2020
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