California closes bars, restaurants, movies and museums as coronavirus cases surge

California has clamped new restrictions on businesses as coronavirus cases and hospitalisations soared, forcing the governor to close all popular entertainment destinations.

Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, ordered bars closed and restaurants, movie theatres, zoos and museums across the nation’s most populous state to cease indoor operations. Gyms, churches and hair salons must also close in the 30 hardest-hit counties, Reuters reported.

“It’s incumbent upon all of us to recognize soberly that COVID-19 is not going away any time soon, until there is a vaccine and/or an effective therapy,” Newsom said at a news briefing.

The governor called the move critical to stemming a surge in COVID-19 cases that have strained hospitals in several of California’s rural counties.

California, along with Florida, Arizona and Texas have emerged as the new U.S. epicenters of the pandemic. Infections have risen rapidly in about 40 of the 50 states over the last two weeks, according to a Reuters analysis.

Despite nearly 28,000 new COVID-19 cases in the last two days in Florida, Disney World in Orlando welcomed the public on Saturday for the first time since March with guests required to wear masks, undergo temperature checks and keep physically apart.