SACRAMENTO, Calif — California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered seven counties to shut down bars and recommended Sacramento County do the same in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus as numbers continue to rise at alarming rates.
Sacramento County announced Monday afternoon that starting at 6 p.m. June 29, all bars in the county are to close per the state's recommendation.
The announcement to close bars came after the county set two new records of 228 new cases in one day and 87 coronavirus hospitalizations.
The closures mean that "all bars, brewpubs, breweries and pubs" have to close for dine-in services unless the alcohol is being sold with meals. Curbside sales are still available for bars that sell alcohol to go, the county's revised public health order reads.
The county continues to remain on the California Department of Public Health's list of counties that are above state-mandated thresholds for the coronavirus.
While bars are closing, Sacramento County Public Health Director Dr. Peter Beilenson said the leading cause for the increase in cases has been private, family gatherings. Sacramento County and the state banned indoor gatherings aside from people living in the same home and have not yet lifted that prohibition, according to Sacramento County officials.
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COVID-19 BACKGROUND
According to the CDC, coronavirus (COVID-19) is a family of viruses that is spreadable from person to person. Coronavirus is believed to have been first detected in a seafood market in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. If someone is sick with coronavirus, the symptoms they may show include mild to severe respiratory illness, cough, and difficulty breathing.
Currently, there is no vaccine; however, the CDC suggests the following precautions, along with any other respiratory illness:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Wash your hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.
WHY HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE SO CONCERNED
Some people have compared the low overall death toll to the flu's high annual death toll in the United States as a reason not to be concerned about COVID-19. However, doctors and health officials are concerned about three main reasons:
- There's no vaccine yet and won't be one for until early 2021, at the soonest. Scientists are still researching what other medications could help patients.
- Some people have built up immunity to the flu, but few have immunity to the COVID-19 version of coronavirus.
- Droplets spread both the flu and COVID-19, but COVID-19 might be spread in the air. Scientists are researching how COVID-19 spreads.