California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday ordered bars to shutter in several counties in the state including Los Angeles, citing the rising spread of the coronavirus.
The governor, in a tweet on Sunday, said that bars in Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, San Joaquin, and Tulare counties must close.
He also recommended that bars in Contra Costa, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Stanislaus and Ventura counties close, though his directive fell short of forcing bar closures in those counties.
"COVID-19 is still circulating in California, and in some parts of the state, growing stronger," Newsom said in a written statement. "That's why it is critical we take this step to limit the spread of the virus in the counties that are seeing the biggest increases."
Newsom's move follows similar decisions made by governors in Texas and Florida, two other states fighting record numbers of cases that have deterred efforts to restart their economies.
On June 18, Newsom ordered all Californians to wear face masks in public as voluntary measures fell short.
California has seen more than 210,000 cases and at least 5,901 deaths from Covid-19, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.