California Governor Gavin Newsom Sorry for Breaking Covid Rules to Attend Party

Gov. Gavin Newsom says California is moving many of its counties to a more restrictive tier in its COVID-19 reopening system as the state sees a significant surge in COVID-19 confirmed cases.

"Every age group, every demographic, racial, ethnic, in every part of this state we are seeing case rates increase and positivity rates increase as well. No longer concentrated in just a handful of counties," Newsom said during a Monday briefing.

The troubling rise in cases in November has come at a faster pace than a spike in mid-June and could quickly surpass the peak of the hospitalizations at the time, health officials have said.

Newsom’s action, which takes effect Tuesday, will put most of the state's 58 counties in the strictest of the four-tier system for reopening that is based on virus case and infection rates. The most restrictive tier - coded purple - closes many non-essential indoor businesses.

The new rules are certain to rankle business owners such as restaurateurs and gym owners who have been struggling to get back on their feet after lengthy shutdowns followed by reopenings that have at times been curtailed as cases have risen.

The state has blamed the spike in cases mainly on people who have grown fatigued coping with the virus and have ignored public health warnings to not socialize with friends and family members. Those warnings have been more forceful in advance of Thanksgiving next week.

California last Thursday became the second state - behind Texas - to surpass 1 million cases of the virus since the outbreak began, though it ranks 40th for cases per capita.

Eleven California counties were forced to impose stricter limits on businesses last week after cases rose above thresholds established by the state. Three Northern California counties on Friday said they would voluntarily join nearby San Francisco in halting indoor dining to help control the virus.

Gov. Newsom also apologized on Monday for what he called “a bad mistake” in attending a birthday party that broke the very rules that he has been preaching to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

He has suffered severe political backlash since it surfaced Friday that he and his wife attended the party Nov. 6 with a dozen friends at the pricy French Laundry restaurant in wine country north of San Francisco.

Newsom said he realized as soon as he sat down at the outdoor table that the group was larger than he had expected to celebrate the 50th birthday of Jason Kinney, a political adviser that Newsom said he has known for 20 years.

“I made a bad mistake,” Newsom said. “I should have stood up and ... drove back to my house.

“The spirit of what I’m preaching all the time was contradicted," he added. "I need to preach and practice, not just preach.”

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