Gavin Newsom (D) issued a warning Friday to one county facing a surge of new COVID-19 cases: Put your social distancing orders back into effect, or I’ll do it for you. Imperial County, in rural Southern California, just reported a seven-day average coronavirus test positivity rate of 23% compared to the statewide rate of 5.7%. The dire situation has forced hospitals in the county to transfer more than 500 patients to hospitals in other counties over the past five weeks, Newsom said. While statewide limits remain on mass gatherings and events, Newsom has given most businesses permission to reopen. Imperial County is among those that have allowed retailers, malls and places of worship to reopen with modifications.

Source: Huffington Post June 26, 2020 22:52 UTC