California is set to move into Stage 3 of Governor Gavin Newsom‘s four-stage recovery plan to reopen the state amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he announced Monday.
Counties around the state will initially be given the opportunity to apply for approval to transition into the new stage and then Newsom will eventually issue a statewide order. In his announcement, he said the next phase is “weeks, not months away.”
Newsom also said he is loosening the restrictions needed for counties to move from Stage 1 to 2. Previously, each county had to meet a number of criteria to move forward in reopening, including stabilization of hospitalizations of infected individuals on a seven-day average of daily percent change of less than 5%, or no more than 20 COVID hospitalizations on any single day in the past 14 days, and less than 25 new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days or less than 8% testing positive in the past seven days.
Under Stage 3, Newsom said some sports leagues may be able to return to action with “modifications and very prescriptive conditions,” including without spectators in attendance.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state could see pro sports return by the first week of June without fans. pic.twitter.com/j4PPg56Yn7
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 18, 2020
Currently, more than 20 counties have moved deep into Stage 2 while many – including Los Angeles, San Diego, and those that comprise the Bay Area – remain early in the stage or in late Stage 1. Newsom said Monday that locales like Los Angeles and the Bay Area are allowed to maintain stricter rules, but he has already lifted restrictions on curbside retail pickup and manufacturing jobs, among other sectors. Stage 2 also includes fewer restrictions on outdoor activities, namely golf and tennis so far, but not pool swimming.
Last week, San Diego-based Olympic coach David Marsh posted a plea to Newsom to allow pools to reopen state-wide.
A handful of states around the U.S. have begun reopening pools at a limited capacity or plan to do so in the near future. In California, some club teams – including Mark Schubert‘s Mission Viejo – have been able to appeal to local government and get approved to return to practicing under heavy restrictions.
Stage 4 of the plan will allow for large gatherings, like concerts and sports events with fans in attendance, to resume – but Newsom has indicated that the state won’t get to that phase until a vaccine is available.
This has more to do with the Florida governor inviting pro sports teams to his state than anything Marsh put on twitter. Pro sports tax revenue is significantly greater than anything swimming brings to the table.
I may be reading this wrong, but it looks like San Mateo County in California opened up pools, with the expected restrictions. The other Bay Area counties appear to have not included the same verbiage in their updated orders, specifically “Appendix C-2”.
https://www.smchealth.org/sites/main/files/file-attachments/ho_order_c19-5d_appendix_c-2_allowed_additional_activities_20200515.pdf?1589577733
Is his team back in the pool?
Sports events with fans won’t happen until there’s a vaccine? Whoa, that could easily be a year away. I could see him changing that.
Plus who knows if the vaccine would even be effective. I’m not sure why he would say something so incredibly unrealistic. Everything any of these governors say should be couched with a giant “this could change”.
There may never be an effective vaccine..then What? Geez, what are communities doing? If Mission Viejo can open, so can every other city using similar guidelines..Forget Newsome.
Please hurry
Would the pools on college/high school campuses remain closed of school closures continue?
North Carolina appears to be ready to open pools for Memorial Day weekend:
https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/nc-swimming-pools-could-open-in-phase-2-as-soon-as-friday-night/19103525/
Come on Newsom, open up CA pools, please!